PH Story
by Ravenski
Summary: Gilbert views her as a chain. Elliot views her as a girl. Both fall in love. GilbertXReader, ElliotXReader
1. Chapter 1

My name is Meghan Arberry… I was told at a young age my fate…

_In the Records of Barma…_

Years before the Tragedy of Sablier, the world was at peace… until one day, Four powerful Chains emerged from the Abyss wishing to destroy the human race…

Now in this world of destruction, there existed four people: James Baskerville, a metal miner… Paige Barma, a ring maker… Anthony Nightray, a blacksmith… and Jonathan Vessalius, a leather smith… using the abilities each one possessed, the four created a sword enabling the termination of the Chains… there was just one problem…  
The four had worked very hard to produce the sword, and because all did not want to face the Chains alone, they decided to form a pact, agreeing that each would capture and throw into the Abyss a Chain a piece using the sword… James Baskerville did as such, capturing and condemning the Chain known as Rhombus… Paige Barma did the same with the Chain Alsike… and Jonathan Vessalius, with all his might, used the sword to eliminate Tickcore…  
From that day on, the four friends became heroes of their world, soon becoming royal Dukedoms… many years had passed…  
The three Dukedoms of Vessalius, Barma, and Baskerville, were not aware that the Nightrays had a secret…  
Anthony Nightray, who was very curious of the makeup of Chains, captured the Chain known as Spades… everyone assumed he had thrown it into the Abyss with the others… in reality, Anthony kept the Chain in his possession… the Nightray line passed down corrupt experimentations of taking the barely alive Chain and, after drawing a shot full of it's blood, issuing it to newborn human babies to see, perhaps, if the blood of a human could be taken over by the blood of a Chain… such went on for years, until the Vessalius family became aware of the Nightrays' actions… the Vessalius family refused to remain friends with the Dukedom, leaving them in the shadows of their horrid lifestyle…  
After one hundred years, the Nightray's Chain's blood was almost completely drained out… countless newborns had died from the experimentation, with no success of the change the Nightrays hoped to aquire… on the verge of giving up, a child was presented to them… it was to be the last child to be experimented on, for there was only enough blood to fill one more shot… the shot was placed into the baby and the blood was administered… and then… something strange happened…  
The baby did not die like the others… and it's eyes, after the administration of the Chain's blood, turned an evil green, the very same color of the Chain's eyes… the Nightray's were convinced that the remainder of the life present in the Chain had transferred to the child…  
As a means to preserve the baby, the Nightray's cast the child into the Abyss, hoping that such would never be known that a child of the human race had the blood of a Chain… little did they know the child would return from the Abyss many years later, unaware of it's fate… unaware that the Four Chains that once terrorized the world, would remain alive through the blood of the child, as well…

"Madame Arberry?"  
"Yes?", I said, answering the door of my home. The mail messenger handed me a letter. He tipped his hat and walked away. I looked down at the letter, curious as to what it could be… I never received letters from anyone…  
The seal on the letter looked somewhat familiar. I opened it up…  
"Madame Arberry, you are cordily invited to attend the social gathering of…". I stopped there. I tore up the letter, letting the pieces of paper fall to the ground like snow. I really did not like social gatherings… I really did not like people. I closed the door after walking back inside my house… I was nothing special… I never was… so why were they always inviting ME? I strugged, walking into my living room where my Aunt was waiting for me, tea in hand. She took a sip of tea and looked up at me.  
"Who was that, dear?"  
"Oh… it was just another invitation to a social event… like I would go to one of those things…"  
"MIRANDA!"  
"Meghan… Aunty…", I corrected her, for what seemed like the fifth time today. She ignored the comment.  
"If you expect to make yourself known in society, you must ALWAYS attend social gatherings!"  
"But…"  
"REGARDLESS if you like them or not! Heavens… I'm known all over the country because of my attendance at these gatherings… even the Nightrays…"  
"Aunty…". I rolled my eyes. The Nightrays… the Nightrays… the Nightrays… that was all this woman ever talked about… it was rather annoying.  
"You know the Nightrays have three eligible sons… I've met two out of the three at Lonny's party! Vin… Vinny? And Eli… Eliot? Fine boys! Just fine! Two of them are adopted though…"  
"Aunty… if they're eligible, why don't you go after them?", I joked. Aunty always took jokes seriously…  
"Don't be ridiculous! If they were a tad older, I just might! You know, Mickey…"  
"Meghan… Aunty…"  
"They are all around your age…"  
"Good! Then they must hate social gatherings as much as I do!"  
"Pish posh! Don't be a ninny, niece! I'm telling you that you would make an excellent…"  
"Don't say it…"  
"Match…"  
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Aunty!"  
"For one of them!". I rolled my eyes, taking a sip of tea again. I had no desire to hook up with a Nightray… if they were as sophisticated as my Aunt often described them as being, I, being a plain and simple girl, would never fit into their world… and I really had no interest in doing so in the first place.  
"I know you're nervous, but once you're known in society, they will just be flocking towards you!", she said with a smile. I laughed a little. I had no interest in a relationship whatsoever… however, I somehow found myself in a party dress, in a carriage, and soon at a local mansion attending the social gathering I dreaded to go to that day… it was horrendous… absolutely horrid…

"MINNY! COME OVER HERE!", shouted my Aunt from across the ball room. I was sitting in a little chair near the door, my arms crossed… I refused to respond to anything that was not my name… I watched as my Aunt scurried over to me…  
"Maybelle, I just got word from Lonny that a Nightray is coming!", she said with a smile. I frowned… great… just great…  
"Does he by any chance have scissors so I can stab my heart and be rid of this world?", I exclaimed in a mutter. She frowned.  
"Um…". She turned around. A hoard of girls was surrounding someone who had just arrived. She looked at me. "LOOK! I THINK THAT'S HIM!", she exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. She grabbed my arm.  
"COME! LET'S HAVE YOU MEET HIM!"  
"NO!". I pulled back my arm… I refused… after that… something strange happened…  
The lights were flickering on and off… Everyone was startled… except me… I got up and decided to walk in the hallway, away from everyone… and the Nightray… and then…  
"AH!", I screamed. I could not remember… but something came at me like a shadow… I had fainted… and woke up to find two holes in my right arm… and I was surrounded by black feathers… I could feel the pain in my arm, like something had cut through my muscle deep down, like a bullet… and… and… here I am now…  
I look up… someone is looking down at me… I start to stand, holding onto my injured arm… blood seeps through my fingers… I turn around to look at him…  
"What… what…". I take two steps forward. The man stands still and straight. He is wearing a black suit… his hair is tied back…  
"WHAT THE HELL IS…", I exclaim, dropping to the ground… holding my arm… he runs up to me, trying to catch me before I fall… I look at him… he is looking right at me with his golden eyes… he is… scared…  
"Who… are you?", he says. I pass out before anything else is said…


	2. Chapter 2

I wake up to find myself on a couch with a thin blanket over me. I look at my right arm… it is bandaged tightly with compression bandages. I try getting up, my hand on my head and moaning, one of my eyes closed. I look at my dress… slightly blood stained…  
I look at the room I am in… it is ornately decorated and very unfamiliar… I sit up completely, look straight, and…  
"Good morning!". I look to my left, holding tightly to my blanket. A slightly tall man, about eighteen, is standing in the doorway. He is wearing light green, fancy clothing. His eyes are closed, and he is smiling. He opens his eyes and walks towards me... he sits by my feet on the couch… I look at him, somewhat scared. "You probably don't know where you are, do you?"  
"No…", I say, quietly. He closes his eyes, his hand on his head and smiling.  
"Ah! I guess that's my fault, in a way! Silly me!". I look at the man… who is this guy?  
"Anyway, allow me introduce myself… My name is Oz Vessalius…", says the man, opening his eyes and holding his hand out to me… I show no reaction to his hand, creating a very awkward pause… after a minute or so, he takes his hand back, closes his eyes, puts his hand on his head, and sulks again. "Oh, I did it again, didn't I?". About now he starts to creep me out…  
"Oz… Vessalius?", I say questionably. He looks at me and nods with a smile.  
"Ah! So you know who I am?"  
Awkward pause…  
"No."  
The poor man sulks again. I must say something before he throws a fit…  
"You're a noble, right?"  
"Yes, I suppose you could say that!", he says with a smile. "How did you know?"  
"The way this room is decorated… it's very nice…"  
"Oh! Thank you!". There is another pause before he says something else. "You're name is Meghan Arberry, right?"  
"Yes…"  
"Ha, ha! I've heard so much about you!"  
"You have?". The man nods.  
"Your aunt told me everything about you!", he says with a smile, closing his eyes. Now I am sulking… I do not notice the man now standing in the doorway…  
"Anyway, you're probably wondering why you're here…"  
"Yes, the thought crossed my mind…"  
"Well, Gil explained everything to me!". Oz looks towards the door. I look, too. Tall man wearing a white button down shirt and black pants is standing in the doorway, smoking a cigarette. He looks very… familiar…  
The man puts his hand on his forehead, closing his eyes.  
"Don't you think you should tell her what happened?", says the man, irritably. I look at Oz.  
"Well, it's kind of… difficult to explain…", says Oz, standing up and walking towards the man slowly. The man opens his eyes and looks at Oz.  
"I explained it to you just fine…"  
"GOOD, GIL! THEN I'LL LEAVE YOU TWO ALONE SO YOU CAN EXPLAIN IT TO HER BETTER!"  
"WAIT, OZ…!"  
"BYE!". Oz is already out the door before anything else is said. The man looks out the door, arms to the side, shaking. He shrugs his shoulders. He turns his head slightly towards the couch, but… I am no longer there. He turns around completely, nervous because he does not see me. He looks around the room frantically. He sits on his knees on the couch, cigarette still in his mouth, and looks behind it… I am on the ground, sitting and holding my bandaged arm. He scowls.  
"What… are… you doing?", he says, his hands on top of the couch. I refuse to look at him. I frown…  
"I cannot stand the smell of cigarettes…"  
"WHAT?"  
"Get that nasty thing out of your mouth before I force you to!". He gets mad… he closes his eyes and puts the cigarette in a nearby ashtray. He looks at me again with a scowl.  
"Happy now?"  
"No…". He jumps back a little I look at him with a frown. "Who are you?"  
"Gilbert Nightray."  
That name…  
"Ok, I'm out!". I stand up and head for the door. He gets up from the couch and grabs my right arm…  
"AH!". The pain… I turn around and force him to let go of my arm. "WHAT ARE YOU…"  
"I'm sorry, but you have to listen!". I rub my arm and look up at him. His eyes are gold… his hair is black… and he has a distinctive gold earring on his left ear…  
"I found you… yesterday… after a Chain attacked you…"  
"A… Chain?". I am confused… he walks over to the couch… I follow him and we both sit down.  
"It was just some random one that had a contractor nearby… luckily no one got hurt…"  
"Then… explain why my arm has two holes in it…". Gilbert looks down with a frown… he looks up again…  
"I mistook you for the Chain and shot two bullets… I'm very sorry…"  
"Sorry? SORRY? You could've killed me!"  
Gilbert looks down again…  
"It was dark… and… I'm not that good of an aim…"  
"I'll say! Now… Mr. Nightray… please explain to me what these so-called 'Chains' are…"  
"Perhaps…", says Gilbert, looking up again. "It's better that you never find out… again… I'm sorry about the incident and you'll never be involved again, I swear…". I look at him, still very confused, but also curious. What are Chains, and why did one attack me?  
"Mr. Nightray, Oz Vessalius told me you would explain everything! Now, explain!". Gilbert looks at me… now he seems confused…  
I… remember something…  
"What… did you mean by that?"  
"Huh?"  
"You asked me who I was… that was you, wasn't it?". Gilbert's eyes show confusion. He looks down, closing his eyes.  
"I… I…"  
"HELLO!". We both look up… a blonde man with glasses walks into the room, followed by as smiling Oz. Gilbert stands up.  
"OSCAR!", exclaims Gil, looking at the man. The man smiles, walking towards us.  
"I didn't mean to interrupt anything, but I really must meet this girl!". Gilbert looks at him, seemingly revolted.  
"What do you mean by that?"  
I stand up and hold my hand out to him. He grabs my hand and kisses it.  
"Madame Arberry…"  
"Please… don't call me that…", I say, with the same revolted expression as Gilbert. The man smiles.  
"I've heard so much about you…"  
"From my aunt, I assume?". Oz separates his hand from mine with a smile.  
"Uncle Oscar! Didn't I tell you NOT to mention her aunt?"  
"I didn't say anything about it!", says Oscar, infatuated. Oz steps up.  
"Well, did Gil tell you about what happened last night?"  
"Actually…", I say, looking at Gilbert. "No… he didn't tell me anything…". Gilbert gives me a scowl… I smirk.  
"Oh… same old Gil!", says Oz, laughing and closing his eyes. "Anyway, this is my mansion, but soon we'll be transferring to Pandora!"  
"PANDORA?!", exclaims Gilbert and I at the same time. Oz nods.  
"I'll explain everything on our way there!". Oz turns around and starts to walk out of the room… Gilbert runs up to him and grabs his shoulder.  
"Wait, Oz! Why are we… why is she…?"  
"Gil, Gil, Gil… I told you! Just leave the situation to me!", says Oz, looking at Gilbert with a smile. Gilbert looks at Oz, confused. Oscar holds his arm out to me.  
"My lady…". I take his arm. We walk past Gilbert… I smile at him, closing my eyes. Gilbert frowns, a mad look on his face. We leave the Vessalius mansion and head for Pandora…


	3. Chapter 3

We are riding in a carriage to Pandora… I am sitting across from Oz, next to Oscar… Gilbert is next to him, looking out the window… I look at Gilbert, and then at Oz…  
"Your Excellency…"  
"Oh, please! Just call me Oz!", says Oz, hand on head, eyes closed, and smiling. I smile slightly.  
"What is this Pandora?"  
"Well…"  
"I would like to know where you are taking me…". Oz opens his eyes and looks at me. He smiles.  
"You never heard of it?"  
"Well, to be totally honest, I… haven't heard of anything you've neglected to explain to me… am I… that unaware?"  
"Not at all! I wouldn't expect you to know any of it…"  
"Then please… tell me now…", I say, concerned. Oz smiles.  
"Pandora… is an organization created for the purpose of controlling Chains and finding information about the Abyss…"  
"That's right…"  
"Hm?"  
"I've heard of the Abyss… it's an unknown dimension that supposedly contains a Will… correct?"  
"Right! So you do know about it!"  
"Not about Pandora… just about the Abyss…", I say with a frown. Oz continues.  
"There is something you must know… ever since… someone close to me… left, I became the Head of Pandora…", says Oz, looking down. Gilbert slightly looks at Oz, and turns back to the window. I frown...  
"Why… are you bringing me there?". Oz looks at me.  
"It's about that… Chain… that attacked you… Chains are created by the Abyss… not all of them are bad… just the ones put into the wrong hands… here at Pandora, we have members called Contractors that made contracts with Chains… they use the Chains to destroy the bad ones, because, well, that is the only way to defeat Chains…"  
"Do you have a Chain… Oz…?". Oz smiles. The carriage stops. Someone opens the door… a girl…  
"OZ!". The girl pulls Oz out of the carriage and forces him on the ground with her foot on his head… she laughs…  
"Alice!", says Oz, laughing, too… I look at them, wide eyed... Gilbert walks past me out of the carriage and tries to pull her away from Oz…  
"Get off of him, you Stupid Rabbit!". I watch the show, shocked… Oscar pats my knee, smiling.  
"Ah, don't mind them! Let's go into Pandora…". Oscar and I walk out of the carriage. Alice stops struggling with Gilbert… she sniffs Gilbert.  
"Hey, Seaweed Head… you… smell funny…"  
"What… what are you talking about?", says Gilbert, backing up a little.  
"You don't smell smoky…". Oz gets up and smells Gilbert, too.  
"Hey, you're right, Alice! I didn't see him smoking in the carriage, either!"  
"If you must know, I wasn't smoking ONLY because that… that… whatever she is, can't stand the smell of cigarettes!", says Gilbert with a scowl.  
"Neither can I…"  
"Neither can I…"  
"Neither can I…", says Alice, Oz, and Oscar.  
"WHAT?! YOU SMOKE, TOO, OSCAR!", exclaims Gilbert, very shocked. Oscar smiles.  
"Oh, Gil! You finally learned you manners!". Gilbert scowls even more. I walk towards the mansion…  
We are in the Pandora mansion… in Oz's office… Oz sits at his desk… Alice sits next to him… Gilbert looks out the window, his arms crossed… Oscar sits next to me on the couch across from Oz's desk…  
"Meghan, there was something I've been dying to ask you…", says Oz, smiling and looking at me… I frown…  
"What do you want to know?"  
"Well, I really don't want to know anything! Rather… I wish to ask you for help…"  
"Help?"  
"You see… my former Chain… Alice… and I ended our Contract three years ago, and since then I've been aging normally… sometimes Chains stop the aging process of their Contractors… Gil hasn't been aging since he made the contract with his Chain…". I look at Gilbert… he has… a Chain?  
"Anyway, the fact that a Chain attacked you was rare… sometimes Chains are attracted to people because they are special in some way… you have that ability… it is something we need at Pandora… because I'm aging and am without a Chain anymore, I need more people to staff here an track down more Chains… what I'm asking is… would you like to join Pandora?"  
"Huh?"  
"It would be of great help to us if you would…", says Oz, looking at me. I look down… my life… before… I never… had a place… I look up…  
"What would you like me to do?". Oz smiles. He holds his hand out.  
"Welcome to Pandora… Meghan Arberry…". I take his hand and shake it… Gilbert looks over at us, eyes wide…  
"What… is the meaning of this… Oz?", says Gilbert, shocked. Oz smiles.  
"You will be teaming up with Gil on missions…"  
"WHAT?!", says Gilbert and I at the same time. Oz smiles, closing his eyes.  
"I'm afraid we don't have any extra rooms here, and we can't have you staying with your aunt… Gil…", says Oz, looking up at Gilbert. "Can she stay with you at your apartment?"  
"What… erm… um… uh…"  
"Great! Then it's settled! Meghan… you'll be staying with Gil!"  
Awkward… windy silence…  
"I refuse!"  
"Huh?"  
"Unless certain conditions are met, I will not be staying with… what is he… a Seaweed Head?"  
"I AM NOT!"  
"I'm sure Gil will abide by anything you ask!", says Oz with a smile. I smirk… I walk up to Gilbert and look him straight in the eye.  
"No cigarettes…"  
"WHAT?!"  
"No… cigarettes… I told you before, I can't stand the smell of them on me… or on you…", I say, touching his chest with my finger. He looks at my finger. I look at my finger. I pull it away quickly. "Well, it's… um… not like I… notice…". Oz smiles.  
"Ok! Meghan, you can go with Uncle Oscar to get together your things!"  
"Yes…". I walk with Oscar out the door. Oscar closes the door. Gilbert looks at Oz with a frown. He walks over to him. He puts his hands on the desk firmly.  
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT, OZ?"  
"I don't like it when you smell smoky anyway, Seaweed Head…", says Alice, crossing her arms. Oz looks at Gil.  
"Alice, please leave… I need to speak with Gil for a second…"  
"Hmph! Ok!". Alice leaves the room, also closing the door. Gilbert's attention is on Oz again.  
"I had to, Gil!"  
"But why? Letting that… monster, live with me… in my apartment?!"  
"That's mean…"  
"I told you what really happened…"  
"So a Chain attacked her… there's nothing abnormal about it!", says Oz, standing up and walking towards the window. Gilberts follows him.  
"That's not what I'm talking about!"  
"Then what ARE you talking about… Gil?", says Oz, looking at Gilbert. Gilbert frowns… he looks down…  
"I… told you… Oz… what I saw back there was… abnormal…"  
"You mean…"  
"Yes…". Gilbert looks up. "I told her I shot her… twice… mistaking her for a Chain… but now… but now… maybe it wouldn't have been a mistake… if I really did…"  
Gilbert looks at Oz. You are unaware what is going to happen… for now…


	4. Chapter 4

I walk into Gilbert's apartment, holding my bags. I put them on the ground. I look around… it is very small… Gilbert stands in the doorway, his foot on one side… he is smoking a cigarette…  
"Well, I suppose it will do…". I smell something… I turn around…  
"HEY! I SAID NO SMOKING!"  
"In the apartment, which, technically, I'm not in at the moment…", says Gilbert. I frown. "Oz didn't tell you the other part of our agreement…", says Gilbert, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and throwing it on the ground, crushing it with his foot.  
"And I suppose it's something you're anxious to tell me?", I say with a little ring to it of sarcasm. Gilbert walks into the apartment. He takes off his hat and gloves, placing them on a table next to the door. "I stay up late most nights and am gone most of the time from here, arriving late in the evening, if I even do… you are on your own when it comes to food, drink, and yes, bed… you get the couch…", says Gilbert, patting the couch with his hand. "Just as you forced me to quit smoking in here… I will not tolerate drinking… and when you eat, no eating on the couch… no drinking on the couch… don't throw things of yours on the floor or on the furniture… clean up after yourself, wash the blanket I ever so willingly provided for you, and pay your share of the rent every time of every month… understood?". There is a pause… he turns around and looks at me…  
"Did you get all that?". I frown… I am very mad… he really expects me to do all that?  
"I understand… I understand perfectly…". I grab my bags and sand in the doorway. I open them, holding one open bag forward. "No throwing my things on the floor…". I do just that… with both bags…  
"Wash that floppy blanket, no drinking… no eating… no sleeping… NO NOTHING! Live on the streets, why don't I! Eat from the garbage and drink from the sewers! Live the IDEAL lady life that I've always dreamed of! My aunt will be PLEASED!". Gilbert walks up to me… he holds his finger out to me.  
"Stop… this… right… now!"  
"Stop what? Being the savage beast that I am, things like this only come NATURAL! I need my liquor to sustain me, just like you need your BLASTED CIGARETTES!"  
"You act as though my requests are IMPOSSIBLE!"  
"You act as though I'm impossible!"  
"You need to learn how to appreciate hospitality!"  
"I will… ONCE YOU'RE HOSPITABLE!  
"WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD EVER SHOW COURTEOUSY TO SOMEONE LIKE YOU?"  
"WHO AM I?"  
"WHO ARE YOU?". There is a pause. I laugh slightly.  
"Oh… so that's where it came from… you never even… KNEW me, and you come to the conclusion that I haven't any classification? Ok… I get it… I'm just an ordinary… self-proclaimed lunatic!". I start to grab my things.  
"That's… not what I meant…"  
"Then, what, Mr. Nightray, do you mean?", I say, hands on hips and looking at him. Gilbert looks at me… there is a pause… he covers his mouth and starts to laugh…  
"No… no, you're right!"  
"Excuse me?"  
"YOUR'E COMPLETELY NORMAL!"  
"When wasn't I?". He keeps laughing… I must be taking this more serious than he is…  
I drop my things… I walk up to him…  
"What's so funny? Huh?". Pause… "GILBERT NIGHTRAY IF YOU DON'T ANSWER ME, I SWEAR I'LL…"  
"You're a typical woman…"  
"What?". He stops laughing… he looks at me.  
"Always complaining, never pleased…"  
"Is that what you…". I look at his hair. I cover my mouth and start to laugh.  
"Ah… that's a change…"  
"Your… hair!"  
"What about it?"  
"It's… HA, HA, HA!". Gilbert was messing with his hair so much during your argument that it is in a mess now…  
"SEAWEED HEAD!"  
"HEY! DON'T CALL ME THAT!". I laugh and start to slightly fight with him… so much fun…

We are sitting behind the couch on the floor… our legs are extended out in front of us… we are laughing…  
"So Alice tried eating the flowers?"  
"Yeah… Oz told me to keep her away from that field or she was gonna get sick… personally, I didn't mind either way!"  
"I bet!". We laugh… we sigh… I move my finger, swiveling it on the floor and looking down…  
"You must really like this Pandora, huh?"  
"I suppose… now that Oz is running things, anyway…"  
"How long have you known Oz?"  
"Oh, we've known each other for years… ever since we were kids…"  
"That's good… you've maintained a friendship for this long…". I frown… he looks at me…  
"Don't you have any friends?"  
"No… at least, none that could compare with yours and Oz's friendship… my childhood wasn't about making friends as much as it was… getting parents…"  
"You're adopted?"  
"Sort of… the people who adopted me… didn't want me anymore, so they… gave me to the mother's aunt…"  
"Why didn't they want you?". There is a pause… I stop swiveling my finger… I place my hand flat on the floor…  
"Oh, it's… stupid…"  
"I might not think so…"  
"Well... they… loved me… and then they didn't…"  
"I don't understand…"  
"Neither do I… but…". I look up at him. "I'm… grateful it all came to this… being on my own… independent… I've learned to live without love… without friends… without family…". My lips start to shake. I look down again…  
"You asked me twice who I was… I'm afraid it is a difficult question to answer because of those things, but I… I suppose I'm… virtually inexistent…". Gilbert looks at me contently.  
"No… you're not inexistent… not if I can see you… now the person I see, whether she sees it or not, is Meghan Arberry…". I look at him.  
"Do you respect that name?"  
"Not yet… I'm sure I will in time… but it's gonna take a while before I'm your friend…". I smile.  
"Mr. Nightray…"  
"Gilbert..."  
"Gilbert…", I say, extending my hand out to him. "If there's the possibility of we being friends, it's more than I've ever had… I'm willing to take a chance on that…". Gilbert smiles. He shake my hand.  
"So am I…". We stop shaking hands… we are now holding hands… should I let go? Should he? There is a long pause…  
There is a knock at the door… Gilbert lets go of my hand and stands up… he walks to the door and answers it… it is Oz…


	5. Chapter 5

Oz enters the room.  
"Oz?", says Gilbert questionably. Oz smiles.  
"Hello, Gil! And where's..."  
"Here I am!", I say, standing up from behind the couch. Oz is kind of shocked, but holds back. I smile. "He, he, well, we have to get to work immediately... Meghan?"  
"Yes, Oz?"  
"Before you go out, I need you to do something..."  
I comply...

"Why did Oz have you do this again?". Gilbert and I are walking on a forest road... my hair, which is naturally blonde and very curly, is tied in the back like a man... as a matter of fact, I am dressed like one, too! Gilbert is... somewhat revolted...  
"He doesn't want people to recognize me..."  
"How would people recognize you if you've never been to social gatherings or parties?"  
"My aunt has apparently told everyone about me... Oz doesn't want people to find out I'm working for Pandora now..."  
"But... a guy?", says Gilbert, very skeptical. I frown.  
"It's easier to move around in this than a dress..."  
"I just do not see his motive...". I look at Gilbert... perhaps he feels this way on account of what happened earlier today...  
Oz wanted me to practice using a weapon, in case I ever needed to defend myself when Gilbert was not around... I chose a gun because it seemed the easiest to use... Gilbert refused to belief I could marks a gun in such little time accurately... I was shown the target, aimed with one eye closed, and shot ten bullets right on target at a repetitive speed... Gilbert, of course, was shocked out of his wits, almost as though he never saw a woman shoot good before... or he could not perfect the gun so quickly when he first tried it... whatever... Oz felt it was therefore necessary for me to disguise myself as a man in order to deceive anyone who thought I was a member of Pandora... Gilbert obviously did not approve of the deception...  
"Where are we going, anyway?". Gilbert looks at me... he looks at the road again...  
"The Nightray mansion..."  
"WHAT?". I am not pleased.  
"I know you have some hate against the Nightrays, but like everyone else, you're just gonna have to get over it..."  
"Get over it? For twenty years I had to hear about the Nightrays and their stupid superiority!"  
"Tch...", Gilbert smirks a little. I look at him.  
"You're a Nightray... what's so special about you and your family?"  
"Nothing... nothing at all..."  
"That's a very vague answer..."  
"That's a very vague question...". I look at him, smiling slightly. He stops. I stop. We look up... the mansion is in sight...  
"Now, listen up... I'm only telling you this once...". I look at him questionably... he does not look at me. "The Nightray manor is not difficult to enter... however, it is difficult to get accepted by the family, which is why you need to sneak in from another entrance while I enter through the front..."  
"Couldn't you just say I'm your friend or something?". He looks at me... he looks up again.  
"No... they wouldn't believe it..."  
"Are you that secluded of a person?". There is a pause.  
"Yes.". We walk halfway towards the mansion and then, split up... he heads towards the front, I to the side, looking for another entrance... I recall what Oz told me earlier today...  
"Once you enter the manor, do not look for anyone in particular... remember, your goal is to obtain the Proclam Letters... they should be located in the library. I'm asking you to do this because Gil cannot enter the library unless he is given permission to do so, even though he is a Nightray... do not question why we need those letters... it is a personal matter... Gil will distract the most worrisome of the Nightrays while you search for them... find them, and get out of their quickly... Gil will meet you outside in an hour's time..."  
I stop... I look up. So many windows, so little doors... I see a servant door near the corner of the mansion. I walk over to it and open the door slowly. I look around... no one is there. I enter the mansion through the servant door. I close the door behind me slowly. I creep down the hall, hiding behind walls and corners when someone walks past me... I do this continuously...  
"Man, this is annoying!", I say quietly. I am walking down a hallway when a group of servants walks towards me. I open a closet in the hallway and quickly enter it, closing the door behind me. I look around in the closet... maybe I could disguise myself as a servant... there is something here and it is nearly perfect...  
I walk out of the closet wearing a white fencing outfit.  
"This should work...", I say to myself. "No one will know I'm an intruder if I wear this...". I enter the next room wearing the fencing outfit. I close the door. I hear clanging in the other room.  
"You win again, Eliot...", says the servant, on the ground, mask off.  
"Tch, doesn't surprise me... are you even trying, Leo?", says his master, taking his mask off, too and holding it under his arm.  
"Of course I'm trying! I just don't want you to kill yourself! You're the one who insisted we use real swords!"  
"I'm not gonna waste my time on fake ones, even if it is just practice... you don't know the first thing about fighting..."  
I walk in the room... I freeze. I do not move a muscle... I start to slowly walk out of the room, keeping my eyes on them, my hands on the wall.  
"Maybe if I show you, you'll improve... you there!". I freeze. Someone is pointing a black sword at me. Uh-oh...  
"Take my servant's sword!". The servant hands me his sword... I take it, very nervous as to what is going to happen... I hold it with both hands in front of me... sweat is falling from my face... the mask is on his face now...  
"Watch and learn, Leo! One can fight without shedding any blood!", says the guy, clashing his sword against mine... I fall back a little. We start to fight. He throws attacks at me while I nervously block them. I cannot seem to attack him back. I can only defend myself. I watch carefully to get my chance... I see an opening. I thrust my sword towards his chest and he, noticing my attack quickly, uses his sword to push mine to the side and forces his over my left shoulder and against my neck forcefully. I fall on the ground from the momentum of the attack. My sword drops. His sword is still against my neck, holding me down.  
"Damn! I almost didn't notice that last attack! Fortunately for you I have fast reflexes!", he says, taking off his mask and revealing his sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. He is smiling, happy he won. His servant stands up with a frown.  
"Eliot, You almost killed him!"  
"I did not!"  
"You own him an apology!"  
"I DO NOT!"  
"Apologize!"  
"NO!", he says, very pissed that his servant has the nerve to tell him what to do. He looks at me. "I didn't catch your name."  
"B-B-Billy!", I exclaim, in a manly voice... I really need to get out of here...  
"Billy? Are you new here?"  
"Yes! New as china! New as a baby bird! Now if you'll excuse me, I've best be leaving!". I start to get up. He moves his sword against my neck again.  
"Not until you take off your mask..."  
"WHAT?"  
"I wish to see my opponents so I never forget them...". I move my hands in the air.  
"NO, NO! YOU DON'T WANNA SEE MY FACE! IT'S UG... LY!"  
"I don't care what you think of yourself! Let me be the one to judge! TAKE OFF YOUR MASK!"  
"NO!"  
"TAKE... OFF... YOUR... MASK!", he exclaims. He whips the mask off my face with his sword. The mask falls to the ground. My curly blonde hair topples on my shoulders. I look at him, scared... he looks at me... his sword is shaking in his hand... his upper lips is twitching slightly... his mouth is slightly open...  
"B... B... Billy?"  
"Eliot, you fought a woman..."  
Oh, no...  
"Eliot, you wanted me to learn from fighting her..."  
Oh, damn...  
His face starts to shadow... he is clenching his teeth... he partially looks down... his entire body is shaking...  
"Eliot, you nearly lost to a girl..."

...

Oh, shit...

I race out of there like a deer being chased by a pack of wolves...

"I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET AWAY FROM ME, BILLY!"  
"I... don't think that's her name, Eliot..."

I leave the mansion as quickly as I could through a nearby window... hopefully I did not cause too much of a scene...


	6. Chapter 6

Gilbert walks down a hallway in the Nightray mansion, keeping an eye out for something... or someone... he stops... he looks up... Eliot, sword out, is trying to bypass Leo, who is blocking him from doing so...  
"Let... me... at her!"  
"No... you're not going anywhere until you calm down...". Leo glances behind him... he sees Gilbert.  
"Oh, Gilbert!". Eliot stops moving. He turns around... he looks at Gilbert with a frown.  
"What the hell are you doing here?", says Eliot, obviously pissed. Gilbert slightly looks down.  
"I'm... um..."  
"It doesn't matter..."  
"What?". Eliot walks up to Gilbert, putting his sword back in it's holder.  
"YOU have a reason for being here... that girl on the other hand..."  
"Girl?", says Gilbert, somewhat scared. Eliot closes his eyes and tsks.  
"An intruder... probably some spy from another dukedom..."  
"Why would someone want to spy on the Nightrays?", says Gilbert, going along with it, even though he knows who Eliot is talking about.  
"Who knows? They probably know something I don't, as always...". There is a pause...  
"You didn't... catch a good glimpse of her, did you?", says Gilbert questionably... maybe Eliot did not see her, at least, not enough to remember what she looked like...  
"Curly blonde hair, blue eyes, eyebrows that rise up like this when she's surprised...", says Eliot, impersonating... me... Gilbert is dumbfounded...  
"Well, that could be anybody..."  
"Average womanly waist..."  
"Huh?"  
"Light skin, bites her nails slightly, a few pimples her and there..."  
"Are you always this observant?", says Gilbert, a little intimidated and annoyed.  
"Bottom line is, I'd recognize her anywhere."  
Oh, that is so great...  
"Say... you didn't happen to see where she was going?"  
"Tch... I knew perfectly WELL where she was going! But thanks to SOMEONE over here..."  
"Eliot?"  
"What?". Leo chops him in the head with a book he was reading during their conversation. Gilbert is... shocked...  
"Don't criticize my judgement..."  
"Ugh... FINE!", says Eliot, rubbing his head.  
"So... um... do you think she left the mansion?"  
"Of course, she... probably did... but I will never know that, NOW WILL I?". Another chop, courtesy of Holy Knight...  
"DOGGONED, LEO! DO YOU HAVE TO HIT ME EVERY TIME SOMETHING COMES OUT OF MY MOUTH?!"  
"Maybe I wouldn't have to hit you at all if you learned to say the right things..."  
"The right... DAMMIT! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU CONSIDER THE RIGHT THING TO SAY?"  
"Stop being so disagreeable..."  
"DISAGREEABLE?! YOU SAY MORE BULLSHIT ABOUT ME THAN I SAY ABOUT ANYONE ELSE!"  
"That's because you deserve it..."  
"I DON'T DESERVE ANY OF THAT!"  
And Gilbert, who was already well aware of what was going on, left the scene while not being communicated to... smart move, Gilbert...  
"HEY!", says Eliot, pointing his sword at Gilbert as he was turning the corner... Gilbert freezes... Eliot has a serious look on his face...  
"If you happen to see that girl, in or around the mansion... please inform her I'm onto her!"  
"And then what, Eliot? Challenging her to another fight puts you at a potential loss again...". Eliot gives Leo the death glare...  
"You think that's the case, Leo? We-hell, you're gravely mistaken... and by that, I mean... I'LL BURN YOU ALIVE, BURY YOUR ASHES, AND HAVE YOU TASTING DIRT FOR ALL ETERNITY!". And the grateful master says much things to be censored, as does his servant, and Gilbert, seeing it as an opportunity to leave, exits the mansion, with intentions all to his own...

"What were you thinking?!"  
"What do you mean?"  
"You know what I mean..."  
Gilbert and I are at his apartment... I am fixing my hair, while he, coat off, is bickering at me...  
"I was only trying to maintain my disguise..."  
"Yes... and you sure deceived them! Do you have any idea who that was you were spatting with?". I do not answer... Gilbert walks closer to me.  
"Eliot Nightray, soon-to-be duke, heir to the Nightray estate? Ring a bell?". I turn around and look at him.  
"The only thing I can recall is that revolting name! Used in ANY sentence, it brings moral avoidance of the entire subject matter all together!", I say with a scowl.  
"You listen to me...", says Gilbert, putting one hand on the couch. "The Nightrays are not people you just joke about! They are an entirely different group of people, compared to the kind you are used to associating with!". I cross my arms.  
"You're right! They really ARE an entirely different group of people! Us, people, they, savages!". Gilbert frowns... he turns around... he walks over to the wall and looks out the window...  
"Where does all this resentment come from, I wonder?". I overhear him... I breathe in and out, closing my eyes...  
"I don't know... it's just always been that way, I suppose...". I remember something...

_"Is there a reason why you do not want this child?"  
"The Nightrays... they are the reason we cannot love her..."  
"But, that's preposterous! Didn't you have an obligation to this child when you adopted her?"  
"We did... that was before we realized our devotion to the Nightrays is more sacred than to her... she is a beast to them... she is a monster to us..."_

I cover my face with my hands.

_"She doesn't deserve our love... no one does... if we didn't fear our Creator as much as we did, we would dispose of her from this earth... she is a vile being..."_

"No..."

_"A useless ragamuffin..."_

"No..."

_"A creature not even worthy to reside in the coils of the Abyss!"_

"NO, I'M NOT! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE M...". I open my eyes to find myself hugging Gilbert from behind, tightly... I must have... ran or something towards the window, imagining I was hugging him... like I... like I did before... two seconds later, I realize I was hugging Gilbert... he is very shocked at first, but then sighs... he lightly brushes my hands off of him as I let go and takes a cigarette from his pocket... he heads for the door...  
"I'll be right back...". I watch as he closes the door behind him, dumbfounded. What was I thinking, acting the way I did? It has been YEARS since I have remembered any of that! Then why... why was I hugging him? Was I in some strange state of mind? He merely asked me a question... and I responded without an answer, but an action... a rather random one, at that... the strange part about it is... Gilbert did the same thing... he did... after he... left me... with her... alone... unwanted... without love...


	7. Chapter 7

"Listen to me..."  
"What?"  
"Just accept her for who she is...". Oz takes some papers from his desk. He pats them on the table, holding them together with both hands... it is prior today...  
"Oz... you always see the good in people... but this... this is just too different!", exclaims Gilbert, looking at him. Oz smiles.  
"How so?"  
"Perhaps she doesn't have anything but hatred inside...". Oz laughs.  
"You underestimate hatred, Gil, like it is an overbearing emotion that one chooses to have only! If that was the case... would I be smiling?". Gilbert looks at Oz. He frowns. Oz walks up to him... he pats his shoulder. "Gil... always remember that she is a human being with human feelings... she'll sense the support and always be on our side..."

"No matter what..."

Gilbert walks into the apartment... I am sitting on the couch, a nervous wreck... why did I act so irrationally? My hands are on my knees, looking forward... I look down when I hear the door close... I close my eyes and frown... there is a very awkward pause... that is it! I have got to say something! I look up at him quickly.  
"Gilbert... I'm sorry! I didn't know what I was doing!"  
"I know."  
"Huh?"  
"The same thing happens to me sometimes...", he says, putting his hand on my shoulder. He does not look at me, but ahead of himself. "Here... I'll make some coffee...". He slides his hand off my shoulder and walks towards a coffee pot on the stove. I look at him... why is he being so generous all of a sudden?  
"Gilbert?"  
"Hm?". What should... NO! What could I say? There is a pause... I look down... steam is in my face. I look up. Gilbert is holding a cup of coffee out to me. I take it with both hands. He stands there, kind of awkwardly and crooked. I look at the coffee. I close my eyes and take a sip...  
"You know, I thought you said drinks weren't provided...". I look up... he is not there. I hear the door to his bedroom close. I look at the coffee at take another sip.

"Must be his way of saying there's an exception to everything..."

I wake up the next morning... I try thinking about what Oz told Gilbert and I last night...

Well, it's perfectly ok that you didn't get the Proclam Letters for me, but you must understand I need them as soon as possible!". Oz did not seem too upset, but Gilbert crossed his arms and gave me the look that says get... them... NOW! And so I, in the scheme of things, asked when the best situation would be for me to acquire the Letters. Oz knew exactly when...  
"Members of Pandora have been invited to attend a ball in honor of the Duke of Nightray's birthday... I, of course, cannot attend because of, erm, personal reasons, and neither can Gilbert... so in place of me, I'm sending my distant cousin who just happens to be in town...". Oz looks at me with a smile. Gilbert frowns. I suppose I must fulfill my mission... I owe Oz that, at least...  
"The ball is tomorrow night at the manor... you will wear exactly the opposite of what you wore last time..."  
"So, I'm impersonating... a girl this time?"  
"Yes...", says Oz with a wink. Luckily, only two people saw me as a girl...  
"Is Eliot and Leo going to be there?", says Gilbert inquiringly. I look at him with a smirk, crossing my arms.  
"As a matter of fact...". Gilbert and I look at Oz, anticipating his answer...  
"No... I think both of them are going to be at Luthewidge... Eliot has finals, and Leo, well... he's his servant, so of course he's going to be with his master..."  
"Eliot's graduating this year, isn't he?", asks Gilbert. Oz nods.  
"He's twenty, so yes...". I am getting annoyed with all this talk of a Nightray...  
"Is there anything you want me to do in the meantime, Oz?"  
"Well... I suppose there is one little thing..."  
And that little thing is what Gilbert and I are doing today...


	8. Chapter 8

I sigh, rubbing my eyes... I get up from the couch. I basically start to get ready, but at my own pace, as always. I knock on Gilbert's door.  
"Gilbert, are you ready?". There is no answer. I knock on the door again. "Gilbert?". And again, this time... consistently...  
"DAMMIT, GILBERT! HURRY THE HELL UP!". I stop pounding on the door and think for a second... hm... that Seaweed Head probably went ahead without me! Tch, figures... I walk towards the door to the apartment and open it forcefully. I slam it closed. I stop again. Ok, maybe I should go back and... I turn around... it is...  
"Gilbert?!". His face is all red... he is covering his nose with his sleeve... I notice the blood stained white shirt... I must have... slammed the door on him...  
"Gilbert, I...", I start to say remorsefully. He avoids the embarrassment by starting to walk down the hallway.  
"I was waiting for you..."  
"B-..."  
"You took too long... sometimes I wish you stayed ELSEWHERE!", says Gilbert, very pissed. He walks faster, ahead of me... I stop for a second before following him...

We are in the carriage. He is sitting across from me, his sleeve still covering his nose... he refuses to look at me. I look at him, still filled with sorrow.  
"Gilbert... do you need a handkerchief?"  
"Tch...", he says, still not looking at me. There is a pause... I reach my hand towards his sleeve...  
"Maybe I could help you... let me see it..."  
"NO!", he says, slapping my hand away using his bloody arm. I am shocked... not because of the slap but because he... he is... pointing his gun at me with his other hand from underneath his coat. He keeps his bloody arm to his side... blood is streaming from his nostrils... there is hate in his eyes... he is frowning and breathing heavily. The blood falls on his lips, enough for him to taste it. I cannot keep looking at the gun... a few seconds pass before his gun wielding hand starts to shake... he lets go of the gun, allowing it to fall on it's side. He closes his eyes and covers his face with his hand, ashamed. "I... apologize..."  
"NO, NO! It's perfectly ok! Here...", I say, relieved. I hand him a handkerchief. He opens his eyes. He takes the handkerchief from me and places it over his nose. He looks out the window, not at me again. I look at him, still very concerned. "I hope I didn't break it...". He says nothing. There is a pause...  
"If you want, I could get you a doctor!"  
"That isn't necessary..."  
"But if it's broken..."  
"I said forget it..."  
"But don't you want me to help you?"  
"All I want is for you to leave me the hell alone!". I look at him, shocked. The carriage stops. "It stopped bleeding...", he says, wiping the remainder of the blood off his face and throwing the handkerchief on my lap as he stands up. He gets out of the carriage... a member of Pandora waits for him outside. I look at the handkerchief on my lap. I pick it up and squeeze it in my gloved hand, looking out the window and waiting for Gilbert to return...

"Have you talked with Duke Barma yet?"  
"No, why?"  
"When do you intend on meeting with him?"  
"Soon, I suppose...". Oz looks at Gilbert, who is pacing around the room, holding his hand on his face, eyes closed... he is concerned...  
"Is something wrong, Gil?". Gilbert stops. He glances at Oz from the corner of his eye. "You seem... aggravated...". Gilbert takes his hand off his face and looks at Oz completely... Oz notices the blood on his sleeve, but does not say anything...  
"Oz... I want to be there when you consult with Rufus Barma... please... it is very necessary that I be there when he... explains everything...". Oz smiles. He nods his head.  
"Yes, Gil... of course...". Gilbert walks to the door and stops, putting his hand on the side of it.  
"Thank you... Oz...". He opens the door and leaves. Oz frowns as he watches him go...

Gilbert enters the carriage without greeting me. The ride is very quiet and awkward until we reach our destination. The carriage stops. I walk out first, holding my head high and ignoring him... if he does not want to talk to me, than fine... I will carry out his wishes... we both exit the carriage. I look around. We are in an alley. Several Pandora members are here, examining the area. I start walking, not paying any attention to what Gilbert is doing and whether he follows me or not. The wind is blowing ever so softly... I walk deeper down the alley... I do not realize no one is there... something... moves in my blood... something... something... calling me... calling me deeper... deeper... into the realms of the alley. I unawarely place my right hand on the alley wall, sliding it down as I walk... cautiously... curiously... I stop. My hearts beats quickly. Something... something is in the shadows... I abruptly collapse on my knees... I hold my arm... blood... BLOOD is running through my veins... sweat is falling from my face... I am shaking... SHAKING... like in a seizure, but I am conscious... I slowly lift my shaking head up, my teeth grinding...  
"N-n... N-n... N-n...!", I try muttering. The pain... it comes from inside... I can hardly control my words... my body... aching... PAIN... unbearable pain...

"Meghan?", says Gilbert, looking around. He, like I, was not paying any attention to the other. He takes out his gun and runs down the alley. "Meghan?!". He stops. He grabs my arm from behind. I do not realize he is here until he does this.  
"Gilbert?", I say, looking at him. He looks ticked off.  
"Don't wander away! Pandora members are scavenging the area, looking for a Chain someone encountered yesterday..."  
"Oh? What did it look like?". Gilbert covers his face with his hand, closing his eyes.  
"It doesn't matter... you'll know a Chain when you see it...". I blink my eyes. There is a pause. Gilbert tightens the grip of my arm. "Come on...". He pulls me towards the front of the alley. I look back, noticing a shadow in the dark...  
I look at Gilbert...  
"Gilbert, these Chains are really a problem, aren't they...". Gilbert glances slightly at me, and forward again.  
"They can be, why?"  
"Pandora seems to go through a lot of trouble on behalf of them... it... kind of makes me feel they are unwanted in our world...". I look down slightly. We nearly reach the front of the alley. Gilbert lets go of my arm.  
"That depends on who you are and how you feel about them... there are people who think Chains are beneficial to humanity, as well as those who believe all Chains deserve to die..."  
"But... those are generalizing opinions...". I look up at the sun and smile. "If I was a Chain, I would want people to judge me... just... ME... not by what I am... but by WHO I am... I am individual, and that is all I want people to see!". Gilbert looks at me as I am speaking. He does not say anything. I look straight... I notice something...  
"What is that?". I start to chase after it. Gilbert quickly follows me. I turn the corner and kneel down. I pick it up petting it. "Oh, you're so cute, pretty kitty!", I say, smiling and closing my eyes. I turn around, holding the cat in my arms. "Look, Gilbert! It's...". And... there is no one there. I stand up, holding the cat. I sense something around the corner. I smile. I lunge the cat with both hands around the corner. "AH-HA!"  
"AAAH! GET THAT CAT AWAY FROM ME!", exclaims Gilbert, backing off quickly. I pull the cat back with a smile.  
"Oh, but it's just a little kitty, Gilbert!"  
"Put that... thing down... before I... I...". Gilbert is at a loss of words. This is strange... he does not usually act this way... he looks like he is going to pass out or something... I smile.  
"You know, Gilbert, this cat would make a wonderful pet for the apartment..."  
"Don't be ridiculous...", interrupts Gilbert, who is now cowering in the corner. I cannot help but laugh a little.  
"Huh... ok...", I sigh, putting the cat down and letting it run away. He, he, I could take advantage of this...  
"Just don't expect the cat to feel the same way...". I sneak up behind Gilbert, and obviously, because my arms and hands still have a trace of cat on them, Gilbert jumps up and starts spazzing, wailing his arms back and forth, trying to brush off a cat...  
"AAAH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!". Members of Pandora are looking at Gilbert with wide eyes. I cover my mouth, trying so hard not to laugh. Gilbert stops. He is stone dead. I laugh eccentrically. He looks at me with an I'm gonna kill you NOW look on his face... his lip twitches slightly. A Pandora member walks up to Gilbert, who is still giving me the death glare.  
"Gilbert-san, the carriage headed for Pandora has arrived... Mr. Vessalius requests an urgent meeting with you and a fellow guest who has just arrived... Mr. Vessalius asks that Miss Arberry be taken to your apartment in preparation for tonight's ball... everything she needs has already been delivered..."  
"Thank you...", says Gilbert, calming down a little. He grabs my wrist and walks me over to the carriage. "You just don't know WHEN to quit, do you?", he says under his breath. We enter the carriage. He closes the door. I laugh a little and smile.  
"Not when there's a Nightray scared of something COMPLETELY harmless!", I say with a smile. Gilbert crosses his arms and looks out the window.

Tonight is the ball, and it seems as though Gilbert and Oz are meeting with someone very important to discuss something significant... who does it pertain to, and why? I guess we will both have to wait and see...


	9. Chapter 9

It is nighttime... the carriage is headed towards the Nightray mansion, with me inside of it... I am wearing a pink dress with several tainted blue frills on it... I look at the window worriedly... what should I expect? Oh, it does not matter... no one there will notice me... I have a sigh of relief...  
The carriage stops. The door is opened. I walk out of the carriage, holding a small white clutch. Contained inside are a notepad and pen to take notes, and perhaps trace a path of where I am going so I do not get lost. I look up... the mansion is carved in lights... I watch my steps as I walk up the stairs...  
I enter the ballroom... there is a food and drink table... music is playing... a servant takes my shawl... boy, I am NOT used to this! I start to shake a little... I open the clutch and start to write...

_I am in the ballroom of the Nightray estate... the food can be smelled from this distance... it is also dreadfully crowded..._

I look up... there is no one I recognize... I write again...

_No one here seems familiar to me... not even the gossiping women... it appears as though I will be secluded from everyone... good..._

I look up again. I put the notepad in the clutch and walk closer into the ballroom. I will have to wait for an opportune chance to leave and find the Letters... Meanwhile...

"OH, MR. NIGHTRAY!". I freeze. I close my eyes. I turn my head slightly to see... Oh... no...  
"I thought you were taking your finals..."  
"Finished... so, I decided to come for a bit and wish Father a happy birthday..."  
"How long are you staying?"  
"Oh, probably the entire evening... I have nothing else planned tonight..."  
By the time this conversation takes place, I am hiding behind a table... Oh, no! NOW WHAT? This cannot possibly get ANY worse...  
"Eliot, you really must meet Oz Vessalius's cousin!"  
"Cousin? I didn't know he had one..."  
"Oh, yes! I heard it's his distant cousin and she's very beautiful!".  
Shoot... me... NOW!  
"Well... ok... where is she?"  
"I haven't seen here yet, but her carriage has already come and gone! Shame, really... the girl must be very shy!"  
"Tch, doubt it... all women are gossips... they can't keep their mouth shut!". I start to ease up from the table. Oh, he is not getting away with THAT! The only thing holding me back is that little voice in my head that says control yourself...  
"Hey, Eliot... your Father made your favorite hor devoirs!". I look up... it is... and he is... RIGHT NEXT TO ME!  
"He did? Really? Let me see...". Eliot starts to walk towards his servant. I hide under the tablecloth...  
"These aren't hor devoirs, Leo! They're jello shots!", says Eliot, picking up a cup and examining it. He looks at his servant.  
"Jello shots are hor devoirs, Eliot..."  
"Since when?"  
"Since they were created..."  
"And when was that?"  
I leave from under the table on the other side... I look up slightly, making sure they are not looking at me. I crawl a considerable distance before standing up and brushing myself off... good... no one noticed me... THEY did not notice me... I have another sigh of relief... until...  
"MISS?". I jump back. That voice... so familiar... uh-oh... it is...  
"Can you please tell my SERVANT that hor devoirs are NOT jello shots?"  
"You mean... jello shots are not hor devoirs..."  
"WHATEVER!", exclaims Eliot in his servant's face. My arm is shaking slightly. I close my eyes and frown...  
"M-maybe they...", I mutter quietly.  
"Listen, if you're going to state your opinion, turn your head so he can hear it LOUD AND CLEAR!". I open my eyes. I turn my head slightly and look at them quickly, still holding my arm.  
"Yes...". I turn my head forward again and race off, avoiding anymore contact with them. Eliot is very pissed.  
"YES? YES WHAT? YES THEY ARE OR YES THEY AREN'T?!"  
"Eliot... does that girl look familiar to you?". Eliot looks at me. He starts to grind his teeth sinisterly.  
"Yes, very... isn't that..."

...

"BILLY!", they exclaim at the same time. I start to run... Eliot tries chasing me, but Leo stops him from doing so...  
"Eliot, this is not the time and place!"  
"WHY IS SHE HERE? WHO IS SHE WITH? WHERE IS SHE FROM?!"  
"Why don't you ask her yourself?". Eliot stops struggling... he looks up. I am on the balcony, near tears because I am sick of running from him all the time... it seems so pointless now... Leo lets go of Eliot's arms.  
"Oh, and... nicely, please...", says Leo, slightly smiling.  
"Tch...", says Eliot, closing his eyes and whipping Leo's arm away from him. "I don't need orders from you!". He opens his eyes. He walks towards the balcony. My hands are on the edge of the balcony... the wind is slightly blowing my hair...  
"Billy?". There is a pause...  
"What?", I say, putting my arms on the balcony and closing my eyes... I am frowning. Eliot waits in the doorway.  
"Don't you think it's a little strange to be sneaking into people's homes disguised as a servant?"  
"Obviously..."  
"THAN WHY...". He calms down slightly. "Why did you do it?". There is another pause...  
"I haven't any obligation to answer your question... Duke Nightray..."  
"Tch... I'm not a Duke yet... don't address me like one!"  
"Than what... Nightray... would you like me to call you?". Eliot walks over to the edge of the balcony. He places his arms in the edge... he looks at me...  
"If I tell you my name, will you tell me yours?"  
"Yes...". There is a pause...  
"Eliot Nightray, heir to the Dukedom...", we say at the same time. He looks at me, pissed that I already knew his name.  
"Ah, so you already know me..."  
"No...". I look up at the moon and the stars...  
"We call the big orb in the sky the moon... but... that doesn't mean I know everything about it... the same applies to the stars... there are millions of them, but we generalize them as stars... what if someplace else they are referred to a name like the sun or moon?"  
"You don't really care about the subject matter, do you...". I look at him, still frowning and upset.  
"Mr. Nightray, if ever I uttered your name TWICE in a sentence, the subject matter would most definitely change to even a graver topic!"  
"Is that an insult, Billy?", says Eliot, borderline pissed now. I look straight again.  
"My name isn't Billy... it's Meghan... Meghan Arberry...". There is a pause...  
"And you're Oz Vessalius's cousin?"  
"No... well, um...". I sigh. There is no use in hiding it anymore...  
"Good...". I look at him, startled. He looks at the sky. "I was convinced this entire time that a Vessalius was behind your espionage... ha, guess even I was wrong..."  
"I WASN'T SPYING!"  
"Than what WERE you doing, sneaking around in a fencing outfit owned exclusively by the Nightrays?"  
"I was... um...". I look down.  
"It doesn't matter..."  
"Hm?"  
"The fact that you nearly beat me... I admit, was luck... but...". He looks at me... I look at him...  
"If you were a spy, why would you bother fighting me? Hm? It just doesn't match up...". I look down slightly... I brush my dress with my right hand... I put it back on the balcony edge and look up at the sky...  
"Maybe if I was a spy, you'd let me go and this conversation would be over?"  
"Ha, ha, not a chance...", he laughs. He places his hand over mine. "I'm not letting you go until I know every last thing about you!". I look at his hand. He looks at me. I looks at him. We look at each other a long while... the lights from the ballroom flicker on and off... they turn off completely and people inside start screaming... we both turn around... our hands brush off the balcony quickly... I hold it in my other hand... Eliot looks at a servant approaching him...  
"Eliot, it appears there is something is wrong with the lights..."  
"Well than, FIX THEM!"  
"We tried, but we think there is something behind this problem..."  
"AAAH!". We look in the ballroom... a giant... CREATURE... is ravaging the ballroom... it is... big... and black... it resembles a flower... the being growls... everyone is very frightened, except Eliot... he runs into the ballroom...  
"LEO!"  
"Eliot!". Leo throws him his sword. Eliot wields the sword in front of the beast.  
"LEO! GET EVERYONE OUT OF HERE!". Leo guides everyone in the room out, except me... I stare at the beast... my blood starts to boil again... I feel myself starting to shake... I look at the beast... Eliot attacks it at full speed... the beast looks at me, ignoring Eliot...

"_YOU!_". I look at the creature... did it just... SPEAK?! The creature flings Eliot to the side. He hits a table. He opens his eyes and looks at me, rubbing his head. The beast approaches me. It tilts it's head. "_IS THIS WHAT HAS BECOME OF THE GREAT GOD OF THE NIGHT? HA, HA... HA, HA, HA!_". Eliot gains full consciousness. He watches the creature grabs me with a vine. I struggle to get out of it's grasp.  
"G-g... G-g..."  
"_WHAT MUST I SAY WHEN MY LORD AWAKENS? THAT YOU ARE NO LONGER CAPABLE OF DESTROYING ENTIRE NATIONS AND FEASTING ON THE CORPSES OF MANY AFTER?_"  
"_I am capable_... G-g LET GO... OF... ME!", I exclaim after shaking my head... Eliot stands up... he watches as the beast carries me to the hallway... a vine hits him into the wall again at great impact...

Meanwhile...

"Duke Barma?"  
"Hm?". A man clothed in white and with long red hair looks at Oz and Gilbert from atop a table. He holds a fan over his mouth.  
"In exchange for information Gilbert has attained... will you, perhaps, explain to us the meaning of it all?"  
"That depends...", says the man, looking at Gilbert. "If what you know is something of peculiar interest, than yes... I suppose I will explain to you the basis of such logic... now than...", says the man, jumping off the table and pointing his fan at Gilbert. "Tell me about this girl known as Meghan Arberry..."


	10. Chapter 10

_Eliot... Eliot..._

"ELIOT!"

Eliot slowly opens his eyes... he looks up. Leo is looking at him. He moans a little.  
"L... Leo? G-h, what happened?". Eliot sits up, closing his eyes and putting his hand on his forehead.  
"That Chain... remember? It attacked everyone!"  
"Where... where is it now?", says Eliot, still feeling pain in his head. Leo points his finger towards the hallway. Eliot looks in that direction...  
"It's gone?"  
"No, Eliot! The damn thing took Billy and who knows where they're at!"  
"Billy... you mean... Meghan Arberry... don't tell me I didn't try stopping it..."  
"You did, but... the thing kept hitting you into the wall... you were unconscious when I came back..."  
"Oh? AND WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THIS WAS HAPPENING?!", exclaims Eliot, grabbing his collar and pissed off, as always. Leo hardly reacts to it.  
"I was following your orders like a good servant, Eliot... you told me to bring the others to safety while you fought the Chain..."  
"Oh... right...", says Eliot, letting go of Leo. He finds his sword on the floor, grabs it, and stands up, looking at the hallway. "It was obviously more powerful than I expected... I wouldn't have lost if the Chain was ordinary..."  
"What do you think it wants with Miss Arberry?"  
"I don't know... but a Chain like that only wants one thing... COME ON!". Eliot runs towards the hallway. Leo follows him...

"_So you're the great Chain, huh? What condemned you to preserve yourself in such an unfitting state?_"  
"What... AGH?!". I cringe in the Chain's grasp, trying to get out of it. The Chain laughs.  
"_KILL ME TO PROVE YOU ARE STILL STRONG! IT WOULD BE AN HONOR! HA, HA, HA!_"  
I look up at the beast... I frown... I stop cringing... I stop moving my body... I scowl... unknowing to me, my eyes... they...

"Many years ago, even before the great Tragedy of Sablier, there existed four Chains... these Chains are believed to have been created by nature and their corpses, banished to hell, the foundation of the Abyss... it was thought at the time Chains and humans could live in peace, but because of the improbability and strife for power the Chains bore, a conflict rose, and humans, at a loss, were beaten severely by the Chains... devoured because of the necessity of blood for the Chains in order to survive without a contractor... eventually, four humans defeated the Chains... three were objected to the Abyss... the last..."  
Rufus Barma closes his eyes... he closes his fan... Oz and Gilbert look at him attentively at him...  
"The last Chain...", says Rufus, opening his eyes again. "Is believed to have been preserved in the form of a human child..."  
"Human... child?", says Oz, eyes opened wide. Rufus glances at him, opening his fan again.  
"I refuse to mention the specifics, but...", says Rufus, glancing at Gilbert. He smiles. "The information you have provided is indeed satisfactory, at least... pertaining to the preservation of a Chain..."  
"What... are you trying to say?", says Gilbert, noticing his glance and fearful of it. Rufus jumps off the table and points his fan at Gilbert.  
"What I am telling you, Raven... is quite simple...". Rufus walks over to the table, pulls out an inkwell, pen, and paper, and starts to draw on it. "There are only four great Chains capable of surviving without a contractor... each had it's own shape... Rhombus, like a diamond... Alsike, like a clover... Tickcore, like a heart... and Spades, like... well, as a spade... if we connect the dots carefully... and where such marks were located... one could, in fact... compare the outmost probability of a Chain's features cutting through the human flesh... painful, yes... much like bullet holes... but ultimately, the end result is clear...". Rufus holds up the paper to Oz and Gilbert. It is of a human girl, arms to the side, with black lines extending out in a squiggly pattern from the wrists up. Gilbert takes the paper, holding it with both hands and examining it closely.  
"No... this..."  
"You said the marks were located here... and here?", says Rufus, pointing to two points above the radius and alba. Gilbert looks at him, very worried. Rufus takes the paper from him and puts one finger lightly on his chin, smiling as he gazes at the picture. "I don't suppose I was accurate in my drawings... huh?". Gilbert looks down...  
"Not... entirely... I didn't...". Gilbert covers his face with his hand. Oz looks at him, concerned.  
"What did you see, Gil?". Rufus smiles, anxious to hear Gilbert's reply...

I feel... weak... my mind... I... cannot... control it... I SCREAM... blood splatters on my face... my right arm...  
HURTS...  
The Chain... LETS GO OF ME... it... THROWS ME TO THE GROUND... more blood... more blood... the Chain WAILS... it... SCREAMS IN PAIN... I breath in and out... IN AND OUT... pink light surrounds it... it sinks... SINKS... I look at my right arm... five... black... and on my knuckle... a... black...  
My eyes get dizzy... they turn blue again, unknowingly by me, and I... I... I...

I...

Eliot runs in with Leo, just as the Chain sinks into the Abyss. He throws his sword on the ground when he sees me. He kneels down, lifts of my arm... and gives a look of disgust and worry...  
"LEO!"  
"Yes, Eliot?"  
"Get help NOW! Call Father... do... SOMETHING!". Leo nods his head and runs off. Eliot's attention is on me. He lightly touches the wounds. "Six holes... damn Chain!", he says under his breath. He closes his eyes and waits for Leo to return...

"There were two holes on her right arm... but...", says Gilbert, looking down. He looks up again, somewhat pissed. "What makes you think she's a Chain?". Rufus smiles.  
"You know as well as I, Raven, that a Chain could resemble a human...", says Rufus, glancing at Oz from behind his fan. Oz frowns. He looks at Gilbert again. "But, this is very different now, isn't it? Or have your feelings deteriorated the truth, as did with a certain... B-Rabbit?". Gilbert and Oz are both very pissed.  
"Feelings can never outlaw the truth... and when it comes to B-Rabbit, as well as this case... I feel nothing!", says Gilbert, smiling a little. Rufus closes his fan, pouting his lips.  
"Oh... oh, really? Well... Raven... I predict there will come a time when all you have to rely on is your feelings, and if you have none... then, I suppose, the inevitable task will be carried out by you, hm?". Rufus walks up to Gilbert. He looks at him. He opens up his fan quickly and slaps him in the face with it hard. He turns around swiftly. "Ha, ha! Don't make me laugh!". Gilbert rubs his sore cheek, frowning. Rufus sits on the table again, seemingly bored. "You will find out sooner or later that the Nightrays eat up their feelings and spit out lies... we Barmas never let emotions carry us away from the truth! It is all... DEEPLY confined where our hearts should be!". There is a pause...  
"Duke Barma?"  
"Hm?", says Rufus, glancing at Gilbert. He cannot... seem to portray his thoughts... Oz steps up...  
"Could Miss Arberry be saved, Rufus?". He glances at Oz. He opens his fan and leans over on the corner of the table, bored as ever.  
"Improbable, impossible...", mutters Rufus in his fan, looking straight. "Then again...". He closes his fan while glancing at Oz. "You always seem to do just that... Oz Vessalius..."


	11. Chapter 11

Eliot and Leo are in a bedroom with tan oriented walls and a canopy bed with scarlet fabric... they are wearing their uniforms, same as always... Eliot is carrying his sword over his shoulder... his hands are in his pockets... he looks at the victim of a horrific accident on the bed with a frown...  
"Eliot, I think we should go...", says Leo, walking towards the door. Eliot closes his eyes... he follows Leo towards the door...

_Mother?_

...

Father?

I start to moan. Eliot turns around... I slowly open my eyes...

"Wait, Leo! I think she's coming to..."  
"So it seems..."  
I open my eyes completely... I look left... I see Eliot's smile and my eyes open wide.  
"Where... am I?", I slightly exclaim, shocked to have the first thing a see a Nightray. Eliot walks towards the bed. Leo stands in the doorway.  
"The Nightray manor... Father made up this guestroom especially for you..."  
"Tell your Father... his hospitality is greatly appreciated, but highly unorthodox under the circumstances..."  
"Unorthodox?! You could have been KILLED if it hadn't been for his care!"  
"I...". I start to say something, but accept the argument. I look at my right arm... my knuckle up to the top of my arm is bandaged. I frown...  
"Don't worry... the doctor said it's a minor fracture and should be healed by the end of the week..."  
"End of the week?". I look at Eliot. "Please... get me a carriage and I will be on my way...", I say, trying to get up from the bed. Eliot forces me down.  
"No, no! You are NOT leaving this house until that arm is healed!"  
"Then put me in the garden! Just someplace where I won't be in the way!"  
"Tch... what kind of insane talk is that?"  
"What kind of INSANE plot is this you're trying to pull, Nightray? I rather DIE from arm infection than have to LIVE under the Nightray estate!"  
"Well, it'll be worth it and you KNOW IT!". Eliot forces me down completely on the bed. He looks at me... I stop struggling...  
"Now, listen to me...", he says, calming down. "I knew from the start that you didn't like my family, but...". He sighs. "You don't seem to understand the situation and how we are involved... if it was anyone else at the party, yes... the same hospitality would have been given! So instead of criticizing it, APPRECIATE IT!". Eliot looks seemingly pissed... I sigh and look down... he is right...  
"Hmph... I am expected at Luthewidge...", he says, giving me a glance before turning around. "Come on, Leo...". Eliot walks past Leo in the doorway. Leo looks at him, and then at me...  
"Eliot means well most of the time, even if it seems like he doesn't...". I look at Leo, holding my blanket. "In fact...", says Leo, walking over to me. "Eliot was the one who saved you..."  
"He... did?", I say, peering over his shoulder.  
"Yes... he found you on the ground... the doctor said that if Eliot didn't treat you in time, or waited for him to come... you would have died..."  
"He... bandaged my arm?", I say, looking at it. Leo smiles.  
"Yes... he knew just what to do! The doctor said even he couldn't do it better himself!"  
"Oh... right... and I'm sure Eliot INSISTED I stay here... hm?", I say sarcastically. Leo looks at me.  
"Actually... yes... but... his father, Duke Nightray? He didn't approve of it..."  
"What?! But Eliot said..."  
"I know... like I said, he means well most of the time, but doesn't like to take the credit for it..."  
"Ah... I see..."  
"And he was up all night worrying about you...". I look at Leo. Wait... WHAT?  
"Was he now...", I say, contemplating it. I shake my head. "No... I don't believe he would do such a thing... not for me... not for anyone..."  
"But he did... the only time he left this room was to change in the morning and get ready for Luthewidge..."  
"Wait... HE WAS HERE?". Leo smiles. I smile a little. "I find that VERY hard to believe...". Leo looks and me and turns towards the door again. He turns around and looks at me.  
"There's a bandage right here on you!", says Leo, pointing to his side. I feel it gently.  
"So?"  
"Eliot was compressing it while he applied the bandages on your arm...". I look at him, still holding the bandage on my hip.  
"But... the bandages are on my right arm and this is my left hip... it would be a very awkwardly close appliance, don't you think?"  
"That, and... your hip wasn't bleeding...". My eyes open wide. Leo smiles and leaves the room... he closes the door behind him. I feel the bandage on my hip... it is a smooth area on my body...  
"Oh... he's going to get it when he comes back!", I say to myself, pissed. Leo meets Eliot in the hallway...  
"So, did you tell her off?", says Eliot, looking at Leo. The servant looks at his master with a smile.  
"Yes... but in a very ordinary way..."  
"Tch... what's so ordinary about setting people straight?". Leo smiles. He follows Eliot down the hallway...  
"_Setting people up..._", he thinks to himself with a smile...


	12. Chapter 12

Oz and Gilbert are riding in a carriage... Oz looks at Gilbert with contented eyes... Gilbert looks down...  
"Remember what Rufus said..."  
"Keep the Chain under constant surveillance...", says Gilbert, rather low... Oz frowns.  
"No... that's not what I meant... and refer to her as Meghan..."  
"Spades..."  
"What?". Gilbert looks up at him.  
"It's name is Spades...". Oz looks at Gilbert, shocked.  
"Gil...". Oz quickly pinches his cheeks and pulls them with a smile. "There will be no mention of that name from now on... ok? Ha, ha, ha!". Gilbert tries to nod his head in pain... Oz lets go of his cheeks and sit back, smiling. Gilbert rubs one of his cheeks and looks out the window.  
"Oz... what were you trying to say?"  
"Well... Gil... Rufus said the Chain inside of Miss Arberry is no ordinary Chain... so, just remember that if anything like what happened the other night occurs again... most importantly...". Oz looks at Gilbert seriously... Gilbert glances at him, sensing the change in mood... he has his head on his hand now...  
"Do not let the Chain take over her body... Rufus said every time the Chain possesses her body, she goes unconscious and cannot control herself... because of that, blood is drained from her body into the Chain... the less blood she has, the weaker she is to falling to it's prey... we only know of one incident where the Chain accumulated out of her body, so right now is the time to ensure that no more events occur...". Gilbert frowns... he looks out the window as though he is not interested...  
"Where is she now?"  
"She should be at your apartment... Gil?". Gilbert glances at him again. Oz smiles. "Treat her nicely...". Gilbert looks out the window again.

"Whatever you say, Oz..."

_I reach my hand out to her..._

Mother!

I reach my hand out to him...

Father!

They look at me with frowns... upset... tarnished...

She pulls me back...

Don't leave me!

Don't leave me!

She closes the door... it shuts... in darkness...

DON'T LEAVE ME!

I wake up abruptly. My face is covered in sweat. I am clenching the sheets in my hands and breathe heavily. I look around... realizing no one is there, I fall back on my pillow, breathing a sigh of relief while closing my eyes. I open my eyes after a few seconds and look at the clock on the mantle... a quarter after midnight...  
I look at my arm... it does not seem to hurt as much as it did before... I get up from my bed... I walk over to the door and slowly open it... I peer through the crack to make sure no one is in sight, and the exit the room in bare feet...  
I close the door behind me and walk down the dark hallway... I figure now would be a good time to retrieve the Proclam Letters from the Nightray library... I turn the corner and look before I pass... I open a door across from a garden balcony, glowing blue from the moonlight... I look inside... there are several shelves lined with books... I enter the room and close the door behind me...  
I see a candle and a matchbox on a table in the library... I light the candle with a match and hold it up to a shelf of books, looking for the title...  
"Proclam... Proclam... Proclam... ah! Here it is!". I grab a book titled "Proclam Advisory Letters" and deposit in under my sleeve... I blow out the candle and put it back on the table. I leave the library with the book in hand...  
I close the door to the library and look straight. The garden balcony looks so... beautiful...  
I walk towards the balcony and onto it... I place one hand on the balcony's edge and look up at the moon... I smile...  
"Lovely, isn't it?"  
I freeze. Someone...  
Two gloved hands fall on either side of me...  
"The scenery of the night is reminiscent of a dream... and the moonlight is intoxicating..."  
He holds my wrist gently and eases up for the other one... I quickly move my hand in front of me, grasping the book...  
"The decadence of tonight and the... softness of your skin..."  
Moving index finger slowly up my arm...  
"Pulse a queen among thorns... and invigorate..."  
Quickly grabbing my waist tightly... the book falls on the ground... I feel his long hair brushing and his breath on my cheek...

"Intense seduction..."

"VINCENT!"  
We both jump in shock... he turns his head to look behind... and sees...  
"Eliot..."  
Eliot storms onto the balcony... Vincent lets go of my waist and looks at him... I do not turn around, still in shock, still in fear, of my life... I close my eyes, very worried...  
"What the hell were you doing?!"  
"What was I... why, Eliot, I'm just leisurely enjoying the night air!", says Vincent, closing his eyes and with a smile. Eliot does not believe him...  
"Uh-huh... then explain to ME why Miss Arberry is on the balcony with you?"  
Vincent glances at me, and looks back at Eliot.  
"She had the same idea, I suppose!", says Vincent with a smile again, holding up his hands and closing his eyes. Eliot looks even more ticked off...  
"Do you REALLY expect me to believe that a sick patient left the comfort of her bed to admire the estate at night?". There is no answer, from either of us... Vincent still holds his hands up with a smile... Eliot looks down and closes his eyes...  
"Tch, whatever... it's none of my business... for you, anyway... Vincent...". No answer... Eliot looks up... he walks over to me and grabs my left wrist... he walks me off the balcony vigorously... I start to look back...  
"Hurry along!". I stop myself from looking back... I look straight, trying to keep up with Eliot's pace. Vincent smiles slyly as he watches us leave... he walks over to the book on the ground and picks it up...

"Sorry about that... my brother can be a real creep sometimes..."  
"Brother?"  
"Stepbrother, actually... Vincent... anyway, just try to avoid him as often as possible."  
"Ok...". I look at Eliot... he seems to be in a hurry...

We reach the door to the guestroom. Eliot opens the door and leads me inside... he lets go of my wrist and unfolds the sheets for me... I walk over to the bed and sit on the sheets, facing him... seeing him again reminds me of what Leo said earlier... not the last part, but before all that...  
"Eliot?"  
"Hm?"  
"I...", I start to say... I grab my bandaged arm and look down...  
"I'm sorry for saying those things about your family... I... am not in any position to criticize you..."  
"No..."  
"Huh?", I say, looking up... Eliot kneels slightly in front of me...  
"You meant what you said based on the knowledge you attained... but, it's alright...", he says, standing up. He closes his eyes and puts his hand on his head, brushing his hair slightly. "I'm more upset about the Vincent part... stay away from him, ok?"  
"I told you I would...", I say, looking up at him.  
"Good.". Eliot walks towards the door, eyes closed and brushing his hair still... he opens his eyes when he reaches the door and moves the hand on his head over to the knob... he starts to turn it, but stops... he recalls something that happened earlier that day before he left for Latowidge...

Eliot and Leo had been walking in the hallway...  
"Eliot!". He turned around... Vanessa, his sister, saw him walk past her...  
"What is it, Vanessa?". She ran up to him with a worried look on her face.  
"I wanted to remind you about the party..."  
"Again?", said Eliot, seemingly pissed. Vanessa stopped and looked at him, upset. "It's at the end of the week... how could I forget?"  
"But Eliot... think of the planning! Father wants everything ready ahead of time!"  
"Like what?"  
"Like... food and decorations and clothes and uh... dates...". Eliot looked at her, somewhat revolted.  
"Vanessa..."  
"I have many in mind!". She held up several pictures of young ladies to Eliot with a smile and a wink... he backed up... yes... he was revolted...  
"Vanessa!"  
"All eligible, all beautiful... and all around your age!". Eliot gently pushed the pictures away from his face.  
"I... don't think that will be necessary..."  
"Oh, but, Eliot! Father EXPECTS you to have a date! It was at his graduate party that he met Mother!", said Vanessa, pouting slightly.  
"I'm sure someday I will meet the right match for me, but until then, I refuse to subject myself to dating unobligated!"  
"UNOBLIGATED?! Love doesn't come in packages addressed to you, Eliot!"  
"Nor in pictures! Leave it at that, Vanessa!". Eliot turned around... he started to walk down the hallway again with Leo following him...  
"Oh, alright... I guess I will have to tell Father to arrange for two plates again...", said Vanessa, tapping her chin with her index finger and looking up...

"One for you... and one for Leo..."

"Who should be my date for the party?", said Eliot. He and Leo were at Latowidge, playing chess on the patio outside. Leo moved his queen four spaces forward, taking out Eliot's knight.  
"I don't know, Eliot..."  
"Hm... maybe someone from another Dukedom..."  
"Ada Vessalius?"  
"NO!", said Eliot, moving his bishop three spaces. Leo observed the move, carefully considering his next move... Eliot looked to the side, thinking...  
"There must be more to this than meets the eye...". Leo moved his queen three spaces, knocking out Eliot's queen.  
"Maybe you should stop worrying about it and start concentrating on more important things..."  
"Like what?", said Eliot, looking at Leo. He moved a pawn up one space.  
"Like... that Miss Arberry girl..."  
"What about her?", said Eliot, crossing his arms. Leo looked at the chess board.  
"Don't you owe her some sort of favor?"  
"Favor? Why would I owe her anything?"  
"Well...", said Leo, grabbing his queen. "A Chain DID attack her on YOUR property..."  
"First of all, it isn't MY property... it's Father's! Second, I didn't CONTROL the damn thing, so why should I take the responsibility for it?". Leo moved his queen four spaces, knocking out Eliot's king.  
"Weren't you the only one of the balcony with her?"  
"Yes... but..."  
"Then logically, that means she was in your care when the Chain attacked!"  
"But..."  
"So you owe her something for your carelessness...", he said with a smile, looking at the board. Eliot looked at the board... he was pissed, and looked away and closed his eyes to show it...  
"Tch... I guess you're right... but how do I pay her my lack of responsibility?"  
"You'll think of something...", said Leo with a smile...

And he knows, right here, right now, what to do...  
"Miss Arberry?"  
"Yes?", I say, looking up at him, confused. Eliot turns around, still holding the door knob with his hand.  
"Miss Arberry... um... phmph...". Eliot shakily lets go of the door knob and holds his hand in the grasp of the other hand. "I... think you know what I'm about to ask you...", he says, walking towards me.  
"No... I don't..."  
"Oh... well... um... it goes like this...". Eliot sits next to me on the bed... I look at him, still confused...  
"See... I... um...". He starts to rub his head and looks at the floor. "I owe you for my carelessness..."  
"Your what?"  
"Anyway...", he says, looking at me. I look at him. "I would like to... um... Miss... Miss Arberry...". He grabs my hands with his hands and holds them. "Miss Arberry... would you do me the honor of joining me at my graduate party?"  
"When is it?"  
"The end of the week... your arm should be healed by then..."  
"Will there be dancing?"  
"Yes..."  
"Will you dance with me?"  
"Of course!"  
"Then... Mr. Eliot Nightray...", I say, rubbing his hands gently. "I will gladly attend your party! What better way to pay my respects to you for your care!"  
"It's not like I'm dead...", says Eliot, kind of ticked off. I smile, looking at him.  
"I know... I'm just so grateful that you cared for me all this time! It means a lot to me...". We look at each other with smiles, still holding our hands. Should I...  
"Eliot?". There is a knock at the door... we both look up. Eliot looks at me.  
"That's... eh... that's just Leo...". I nod my head. He knocks again.  
"Eliot, are you in here?"  
"Yes... I'll be out in a second...". He lets go of my hands and stands up... he looks at me. "I... really must be going now... so I'll see you then... 'til then I'll be at Latowidge...". I look up at him and smile.  
"Yes... I'll... see you then...". Eliot smiles... he walks towards the door and opens it... I watch him as it closes... I fall on my pillow and try to sleep...

"What was that..."  
"Shut up...". Eliot starts walking down the hallway... Leo follows...  
"So you talked to her?"  
"What do you think?"  
"And?"  
"And what?"  
"What did she say?". Eliot stops... he looks at Leo, pissed off.  
"She said exactly what she was supposed to say..."  
"So that's a yes?". Eliot is shocked... he turns around and starts to walk again.

"Yes..."

Leo smiles...


	13. Chapter 13

I pack my things, getting ready to leave...

When I have packed my clothes, I walk out of the guestroom after taking one last glimpse of it and sighing... I start to walk down the hallway...  
"Where are you going?". I turn around. Leo, dressed in Latwidge clothing, looks at me with a frown. I smile.  
"Don't worry! I'll be back tonight, if that's what you mean..."  
"No, it's not that..."  
"Then, what is it?"  
"Must you go now?"  
"Yes..."  
"Well... um...". Leo comes on closer. He hands me a letter, putting his hands in his pockets after I take it. I look at the letter with a frown. I look at him.  
"Hmph... I knew it was too good to be true..."  
"What was?"  
"Everything... these parades of parties and caring for me when I'm sick... you Nightrays... you think you're real smart, don't you?"  
"Huh?"  
"Hospitality... hmph! Up until the bill, that's what it is! Or maybe my own stupidity is to blame, huh? Surely, a dummy could point out a Nightray scheme from a mile away!"  
I close my eyes, lift my chin, turn around, and walk away, clenching the letter in my hand. Leo watches as I leave with a frown.  
"Will you at least read it when you get the chance?", he shouts. I do not look at him.  
"Read it? READ IT? I'll decipher this thing until I find a FLAW! I'm not about to let some Nightray take money from my pocket!"  
"And are you still coming tonight?"  
"Tch... prove me wrong and I just might!"  
"Then that's a yes...", says Leo with a smile.

I ride a carriage back to Gilbert's apartment. When I reach it, I walk up the stairs to his apartment. I knock on the door. No one answers. I turn the knob to find it open. I walk in, carrying my things.  
"Where... were... you?!". I jump up. I turn around to see Gilbert, looking at me with angry eyes and smoking a cigarette. I put my hand on my chest and breathe in and out.  
"Ou, Gil! You scared me for a moment! Don't do that!"  
"Don't do that? DON'T DO THAT? You're not the one who should be giving orders around her, but ME!", says Gilbert, pointing to himself and walking up to me. I back up. "DO YOU KNOW how EXHAUSTED I AM, having to look for you? You left the door UNLOCKED, clothes scattered EVERYWHERE... Pandora thought you were KIDNAPED!"  
"I..."  
"You know, it's bad enough having to deal with Chains to have to deal with the likes of YOU wandering about! Pandora was worried! You could have been DEAD, for all they cared!". I back up so much that I sit on the couch, looking pitifully at him.  
"And what did you think, Gilbert?"  
"Hm?". He is shocked... very shocked. I smile slightly.  
"And what did you think?". He looks at me, steam practically coming out. A few seconds pass before he sighs. He closes his eyes and sits next to me, hands clasped in front of him over his knees, holding his cigarette. He looks forward seriously.  
"Of course, I KNEW you weren't dead... but the possibility of you being kidnaped was highly probable..."  
"And why was that?". He looks at his cigarette.  
"To some people, you are very valuable in this world...". I look at him with gleaming and interested eyes. There is a pause...  
"OH, GIL!". I lunge my arms quickly around him. He jumps up, shocked.  
"HM?!", he says, fingers curling and sweat falling from his face from being bounded. I close my eyes and smile happily.  
"Now I know you'll always be there for me!". He is shocked at first, but smiles slightly. I do not realize it, but his cringing fingers slowly fall flat on my shoulder.  
"Now put out your cigarette!". I get out of the hug and point to the cigarette in his hand. He is shocked again. So... unexpected... but he listens...  
There is a knock at the door. We both look up. Oz enters the apartment. He sees us and smiles.  
"Ah! Hello, Gil! Hello, Meghan!", he says happily. Gilbert quickly gets up from the couch and walks over to Oz.  
"Hello, Oz...", he says with a smile. Oz looks over his shoulder at me.  
"I see we're safe and sound?"  
"Yes, Oz... sorry...", I say, looking down. Oz closes his eyes and smiles. He puts his hand up.  
"No need to apologize! I just had a talk with Duke Nightray and he assured me you were in good hands this week... although he wasn't too aware of it..."  
"Hmph!", I say, crossing my arms and looking forward. "They treated me EXTRA well!"  
"Hey, Oz! What are you talking about?", says Gilbert questionably. Oz looks at him.  
"Oh, it doesn't matter! Anyway, the Duke has invited us to Eliot's graduate party tonight!"  
"All of us?", says Gilbert.  
"Yes, Gil... all of us... I assume you will be joining us, Meghan?", says Oz, looking at me. I look down.  
"It depends...". I take the letter Leo gave me from my pocket and open it. I hold the letter up to Oz before I read it and look at him. "THIS is what a true Nightray is like!". I look at the letter and read:

_Pick up the dress from the tailor at noon.  
- Eliot_

The letter shakes in my hands. I bite my lip. I blink a few times before looking up at Gilbert and Oz.  
"So? What does it say?", says Oz questionably. I look at the letter again. I fold it up and put it in my pocket. I close my eyes, twitching my eyebrow a bit.  
"N-Nothing important... just a reminder, is all..."  
"Well, that's good!", says Oz, closing his eyes and smiling. "Everyone needs those once and a while!"  
"But, what did you need to be reminded of having to do with the Nightrays?", says Gilbert, somewhat mortified. I look up at him and smile.  
"Oh... nothing!"  
"Tch... we'll see...", says Gilbert, crossing his arms.

Long before we know it, Oz, Gilbert, and I are on our way to the Nightray mansion in a carriage. Gilbert and oz are wearing suits with their hair tied back in ribbons. My dress is scarlet red with a pattern of flowing curtain type material around the dress. A single ribbon is tied around my waist. The dress has slightly shoulder less sleeves made of thin light red material. My dress is hardly revealing and somewhat long. I wear a scarlet red choker around my neck with a golden pendant on it with two golden chains hanging from it. Lastly, my hair, waved, is softly landing on my right shoulder, tied up in a small red ribbon to match my dress. I wear long white gloves and red dangling earrings, complimenting my attire. I look out the window and sigh.  
"Is this your first graduate party, Meghan?", says Oz, looking at me.  
"Yes...", I say quietly. Oz smiles.  
"Don't worry... Gil and I will be by your side, won't we, Gil?", says Oz, tapping his elbow with his elbow. Gilbert looks out the window, too and sighs.  
"Yes..."

The carriage stops... we get out of the carriage and walk into the mansion... music is heard...

We reach the ballroom and walk in. We stay together, relatively near the east wall. Gilbert sighs.  
"Ok... everything should run smoothly as long as we stay together...". Oz smiles, waves his hand at someone, and starts to walk away. "HEY... OZ!", shouts Gilbert, holding his hand out. Oz stops. He looks at him and smiles.  
"There are lots of people to talk to here! Why don't you two do just that?". Oz walks towards someone. Gilbert pitifully drops his arm to his side.  
"Great... now I'm responsible for her, I suppose...", thinks Gilbert, looking down. He glances up, hearing a murmur of girls surrounding a blonde man walking towards him. Meanwhile, I face the table behind us, admiring the many appetizers on it.  
"Ah! Hello, Gil!"  
"Hello, Vince..."  
That voice! That name! I freeze. I try concealing myself from them, blushing and very nervous.  
"I'm so happy to see you again, Gil! You hardly come to parties at the Nightray house anymore!"  
"Yes, well... I've been busy..."  
"Busy? You don't mean with Pandora?". Gilbert looks down, frowning. His hands are leaning him on the table. "Honestly... if Oz had any consideration for you, he would let you see your dear brother more often!"  
I choke slightly on a piece of food. I cover my mouth, eyes wide. The disgusting sound I make is apparently loud enough for the to hear. Vincent looks at me and smiles.  
"Oh! Hello, Miss Arberry...". I turn around slowly and smile slightly.  
"You know her?!", exclaims Gilbert in shock. Vincent smiles.  
"Yes... I suppose you could say we've met..."  
I look at him. Long blonde hair... one wine colored eye... one golden colored eye... very strange...  
Gilbert gives him a distasteful look of shock.  
"Care for a drink, Miss Arberry?". He walks over to the other end of the table. At this point, I have no choice. I follow him. Gilbert watches us, assuring himself that nothing will happen...  
He stops at the end of the table and takes two glasses of wine, handing me one of them. I take it, holding it with both hands.  
"Nightray wine is specially made from a vineyard of blood red grapes... the sweetness is in the taste.". We both take a sip of our wine. I drink slower, because I am nervous. He stops before I do, and looks at me, one hand on the table. I notice this and stop drinking quickly. I look down at my glass.  
"How... how did you find out my name?", I say, nervously. He looks at me and smiles.  
"It wasn't too difficult, if that's what you mean... being a member of the Nightray family, I'm inclined to know everything about the people who come here, especially for long visits...". There is a pause. I look slightly up at him.  
"You're um... Gilbert's brother?"  
"Yes..."  
"I'm surprised he never told me about you..."  
"I'm surprised he never told me about YOU! You would think his little brother would be the first to know of his girlfriend..."  
I quickly put the wine on the table and cover my mouth gently.  
"Girl... friend?"  
"Yes... why else would he be seen at a social party with you?"  
"Well... he... um...". I blush. He puts his glass on the table and looks at me. He grabs my hands gently, forcing me to look directly at him.  
"Miss Arberry, if he ever loses interest... know that there is one person who feels you are a passionate necessity to his life...". Vincent takes my hand and kisses it, his breath gently blowing on my hand. I slowly try to remove my hand from his, but he seems to hold onto it tightly, like he does not want to let go.  
"Vince!". He looks up. I turn my head slightly. Gilbert walks up to us. Vincent lets go of my hand.  
"Ah! So sorry, Gil! I was just admiring your lady friend..."  
"Lady friend?! Vince..."  
"Well, I must go... there are others I must attend to tonight. Enjoy your evening, Miss Arberry... goodbye, Gil...". Vincent waves at leaves with a smile before Gilbert says anything. Gilbert looks at me with a frown. I look at him.  
"Your brother is quite the gentleman..."  
"Tch... this isn't the first time I've heard THAT before...". I look forward and see Eliot, wearing royal clothing, talking to guests. Leo is with him. Leo sees me first and tugs on Eliot's clothing and points to me. They walk towards me.  
"Oh, look! Here comes Eliot!". Gilbert freezes. He looks forward in shock. He moves in front of me, trying to block me from his view. "W-What are you doing, Gilbert?!"  
"What do you think?! If Eliot sees you, all hell is going to break lose!"  
"Get... out of my way!". I push him away, he tries pulling back. We fight, not realizing Eliot and Leo are standing right in front of us.  
"Good evening, Miss Arberry.", says Leo with a smile. I stop the fight. I look up at them with a smile.  
"Good evening, Leo... Eliot..."  
"Gilbert, what was that?", says Eliot, somewhat ticked.  
"What was what, Eliot?", says Gilbert, trying to conceal the fight.  
"YOU KNOW PERFECTLY WELL WHAT WAS WHAT...". Leo quickly steps on his foot. Eliot slightly reacts in pain. He looks at Leo. "HEY!"  
"Eliot...", He makes a sign with his head towards me, smiling. Eliot sighs, calms down, and looks at me.  
"How do you do, Miss Arberry?"  
"How do you do?"  
"Eliot, I can explain...", says Gilbert.  
"Oh... of course you will...", says Eliot, closing his eyes, pissed. He opens his eyes and looks at me. "But... not right now... Miss Arberry?". He extends his hand out to me. I take it, and we walk arm and arm into the ballroom, leaving Gilbert and Leo at the table.

Neither of us say anything. A few seconds pass, and I look at him.  
"There seems to be a great number of people here tonight..."  
"Yes... Father invited everyone he could get his hands on to celebrate."  
"It must be a very special occasion for him..."  
"It is...". He seems to be upset about something.  
"And you?"  
"Hm?"  
"What is like being a graduate?"  
"What do you mean?", he says, looking at me.  
"Well... do you feel grown up now?". He looks down, frowning.  
"I grew up long before I attended Latwidge...". I look at him, concerned. I do not want to inquire about it. After a long pause, he looks at me with a smile and quickly changes the subject. "Are you ready?"  
"Ready? For what?", I say, questionably. We stop walking.  
"I promised you a dance, didn't I?"  
"You did... but... I didn't think you would actually KEEP your promise...". I blush and look down. "Truth is, I never learned how to dance, and... I'll probably be an embarrassment to you if I even tried...". He looks at me, shocked at first, but then smiles.  
"HA, HA, HA! Truth is, I haven't danced before, either!"  
"What?!"  
"I thought maybe you could teach me... but I guess because neither of us knows how to dance... we'll just have from the experts over there!", he says, looking at the adults dancing. I look at the adults, then at him, scared.  
"You're not serious, are you?!". He smiles.  
"What kind of a Nightray would I be if I couldn't keep my promises? Besides...", he says, walking me over to the dance floor. "I want to show off the result of TRUE Nightray hospitality!"  
We face each other. I frown, edging to leave.  
"This is stupid!"  
"Wait!"  
"We look like fools!". I start to leave, but he quickly grabs my waist, pulling me forward again.  
"Now then...", he says, gently resting his hand on my waist. "Keep your head straight, chin up, and neatly place your hand on my shoulder...". I do just that, keeping a straight face. He smiles, holding my other hand in his hand. "Lovely... I know for a fact the man always leads, so... just follow me...". He moves his foot forward and I follow. We dance, but it is very awkward. "You're stiffening up!"  
"I'll try not to stiff!"  
"Just relax, and flow with the music!". I relax my body.

Meanwhile, Gilbert and Leo watch us from a distance...  
"Are they really dancing?"  
"Yes... isn't it beautiful?"  
"Beautiful?! Tch... not in the least bit...", says Gilbert, crossing his arms. "If he knew everything about her, this wouldn't be happening!"  
"If he knew everything about her, this would be happening, regardless..."  
"Oh? What makes you think that?", says Gilbert, looking at him. Leo smiles.  
"Eliot never danced before in his life... he's only doing this because he wants to know more about her... he finds her... interesting... and anyway, the chances of them knowing everything about each other right now are slim... it's just... the way they are now that excites me... seeing Eliot, who hardly ever smiles, happy... it's almost like how it will be when YOU find the right person, Gilbert!", says Leo, looking at him. Gilbert blushes slightly. He looks down and closes his eyes.  
"That's where you're wrong, Leo... I don't need anyone to make me happy... I'm perfectly content with my life as it is..."  
"Strange...", says Leo, looking at Eliot and I. "That's what Eliot said before he met Meghan Arberry...". Gilbert looks up at us. He looks down again, one hand slightly on his forehead and eyes closed.

"Tch... whatever..."

The music stops and everyone applauds. I look at Eliot, he still holding my waist and I still holding his shoulder with my hand.  
"Come... I want to show you something...". He takes my arm and escorts me to the door...

We are outside in the garden. The moon and stars are shining down on us. We are arm in arm, walking on a trail lined with black rose covered hedges.  
"It isn't much, and I'm not too proud of it...", he says, referring to the roses. I stop walking and look at a rose.  
"Is it because they're black?"  
"Yes... the Nightray garden doesn't have a wide variety of color...". I pick the flower of the rose and smell it, closing my eyes.  
"It's black, and dull looking... but it is still a rose... just like a person..."  
"Hm?"  
"Every human being has beauty... those like a red rose, with color on the outside, instantly attract people to them... but then there are those like a black rose... unattractive... but when you compare the smells, both roses... both people... have a beautiful scent... I believe that every person, like a rose... regardless of how they look on the outside, are always truly beautiful on the inside... and it is always the perfume that truly makes the difference... in roses... and people...", I say, looking at him. He smiles. We walk.  
"I've never heard it more philosophically said, Miss Arberry, especially about Nightray roses... I will never look at them the same again..."  
"You think it's funny, don't you?"  
"Funny? Of course not! A girl who can compare a rose to a person is certainly not one to laugh at!"  
"Then... you'll be happy to know I can hardly find a scent in your roses, Mr. Nightray!"  
"Oh, yeah? Well, it's there somewhere, I can assure you that!", says Eliot, slightly pissed. I smile. We turn the corner of a hedge to see a big silver fountain. Water is quietly spouting out of it. We sit down on the edge of the fountain. I look into the water, seeing my face and the stars reflecting in it. I slightly frown.  
"You're not too crazy about it, are you?", says Eliot, looking at me. He looks forward. "It's called the Tranquility Fountain... said to promote eternal peace for all who look into it's waters...". I see his reflection in the water. "I've looked in it several times throughout my life, but things still manage to happen to me...". I gently touch the water with my finger, causing a small ripple. "I suppose it's worth having a small reassurance that everything will be alright, even when all hope is lost...". There is a quiet and contented pause...  
"Eliot?"  
"Hm?". He looks at me. I look at him.  
"As long as the stars are shining on you during the night, hope will be with you in the darkness... water doesn't do much when it comes to guidance...". He looks at me and smiles.  
"I... wish you could have been there to tell me that when... when I thought there was nothing left for me after everything was taken...". He looks down slightly and seems to hold back tears. I smile and place my hand over his on the edge of the fountain. He looks at our hands... he looks at me... and smiles...  
"Miss Arberry... Meghan... the stars never will give me as much hope as your eyes...". There is a pause. He moves his hand to my cheek and places it gently on it. He closes his eyes and softly kisses my lips... I do the same... a few seconds later, he moves his lips slightly away from mine and looks at me, still holding my cheek...

"Mr. Nightray! Your Father is looking for you!", shouts a servant from the entrance to the manor. Eliot does not end his gaze of me.  
"Just a minute...", he quietly says, aiming to kiss me again. He does, just a peck, because I slightly push him away from me.  
"Eliot, you really must go...". He looks at me and slowly moves his hand away from my cheek. He gets up from the fountain and holds his hand out to me, smiling.  
"Shall we?"  
I smile and take his hand... he escorts me, arm in arm, back to the Nightray manor...


	14. Chapter 14

"You said Father wanted to speak to me?". The servant nods his head and points to the door. Eliot and I, arm in arm, walk towards the door. He opens it, escorting me in first. He leads me to the front of the ballroom. His father is there, waiting for us. We walk up to him. "Father..."  
"Unhand that girl."  
"Father..."  
"Unhand that girl!". Eliot slowly lets go of my arm. His Father, arms crossed, looks at Eliot with a frown. Eliot frowns, too...  
"Tch... here I thought my only living son would represent the Family better than that!"  
"What?"  
"Vanessa told me you acted on your own will by bringing this... common girl to your graduate party tonight...". Eliot looks over his shoulder. Vanessa is standing there, frowning. She looks down. "Well?"  
"Hm?"  
"What do you have to say?"  
"S-Say?"  
"Just tell me it is all a lie and merely Vanessa's imagination...". Eliot looks down. His lips slightly shake.  
"F-Father..."  
"Yes?"  
"Vanessa wouldn't lie to you...". Eliot's father grinds his teeth. He raises his hand, about to slap him. Eliot, still looking down, flinches a little. Vanessa grabs her father's arm.  
"NO, PAPA! Not here!". Her father glances at her. He slowly lowers his hand. He looks at Eliot calmly.  
"I asked for a straight answer and you know it... now... I am not going to punish you, but there will be consequences for this... I already heard talk of marriage... disgusting...". I look at Eliot, my mouth slightly open. I then look at his father.  
"Sir Nightray, please let me explain..."  
"I never asked you, girl..."  
"Please...". I step closer to him. "It isn't Eliot's fault... I..."  
"Eliot... YOU CALL HIM ELIOT?!"  
"Father...". Vanessa tries to control him.  
"NO WONDER THEY'RE TALKING MARRIAGE! You wretched girl! Throwing names around like they mean NOTHING! I SHOULD BANISH YOU FROM THIS HOUSE!"  
From the other side of the ballroom, Gilbert hears the commotion. He quickly runs over to us with Leo.  
"Honestly... HONESTLY!"  
"Father! Why are you so upset?", weeps Vanessa, holding him back with both arms. Gilbert walks towards him.  
"What's wrong, Sir Nightray?"  
"Gilbert...". The man looks down. "Take... her... away...". Eliot starts grinding his teeth. I look at him withy gleaming eyes and a frown. I move my hand over to his, and he grabs it quickly. He looks up at his father.  
"Father... let me escort her out...". I flip back in shock. "I brought her in, didn't I?". Gilbert ignores him and starts to walk towards the door. He looks back.  
"No need, Eliot... I wouldn't want you to be troubled with her... come, Miss Arberry...". I look from Eliot to Gilbert and back at their father again hesitantly.  
"Sir Nightray...". I step towards him. "I'm sorry for the trouble and I...". I look down, and then up again. "I'm grateful... your son... let me come here again as compensation for my injuries..."  
"M...". Eliot looks at me. He seems... troubled... and worried.  
"That's fine...". We both look at Duke Nightray. "I understand my son has difficulty explaining things to me, and it is just as well... for him to stoop down any lower than what this Family name has already accomplished is beyond reasoning... therefore, I will accept your presence as payment... for... what would a Nightray be if we did not suffer for our mistakes? However...". He looks directly at me. "That does not explain why you... why you...". He looks down, on the verge of crying. Vanessa grabs his shoulder gently.  
"Father...". Eliot starts to grind his teeth again. He looks down. He slaps my wrist with his hand and with that, leads me towards Gilbert. He looks up and me with a gentle and sweet smile. I frown, even so, and walk over to Gilbert. He escorts me out of the ballroom. Eliot watches us leave, then focuses his attention on his father.  
"FATHER! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"  
"ELIOT!". Vanessa quickly slaps him. Eliot holds his cheek, scowling.  
"I tried to conceal it, but...". Eliot's father looks down. "The dress she was wearing..."  
"WHAT ABOUT IT?!"  
"ELIOT!". Vanessa raises her hand again. The Duke raises his hand up to Vanessa. She lowers her hand slowly. The Duke looks down.  
"You are wearing the same suit I wore for my graduate party..."  
"Yes... all the Nightray Dukes did... so?". Eliot crosses his arms.  
"The dress that girl was wearing was also inherited in the Nightray Family..."  
"For what purpose?"  
"To bring misfortune to the Family...". Vincent is leaning against a wall, smiling. Eliot looks at him with a scowl.  
"I wasn't supposed to tell you this, Eliot, but it seems Father is having a difficult time explaining this to you... for, it was his wife that also wore the dress at his graduate party... it is said whoever wears the dress... stained wine red like the color of my eye... will cause great misfortune to whoever wears it... and to those in possession of it... and to those who promote it..."  
"Through what?!"  
"Marriage... for, it has also been tradition... he, he... I mean, a coincidence... for a Nightray heir to marry the girl wearing the red dress... ha, ha...". He covers his mouth with his fist, looks down, and starts laughing to himself.  
"Marriage?! you don't honestly believe I would marry her?!". Eliot gets very pissed. Vincent laughs even louder.  
"No, Eliot...". He remembers seeing Eliot and I kissing in the garden. He looks up, closes his eyes, and smiles. "That's exactly the opposite! I don't think you will EVER get married!". Eliot tries getting at him, but Vanessa holds his wrist tightly.  
"Father... you don't believe in the superstition, do you?", says Vanessa, looking at the Duke. He looks at her.  
"Of course not! But it IS often occurring... first the wearing of the dress... then the marriage... then the bad luck... although I do not believe the misfortune, I will do what my father never did to me... Eliot?". Eliot looks up at his father. Vanessa lets go of his wrist. The Duke looks at Eliot. "You are not allowed to see Miss Arberry again..."  
"What?!". Vanessa grabs his wrist again and pulls him back.  
"You are not to see her again... and that is FINAL!". Eliot gets out of his sister's clasp and walks up to his father.  
"THIS IS NOT FINAL! Tch... when did it even begin?"  
"Eliot!"  
"Shut up, Vanessa!". He looks at his father again. "I'm an adult... I've been one since I turned fifteen... I don't need you to order me around, telling me what to do... especially for something as foolish as this! First of all, I don't believe in bad luck caused by inanimate objects! Second... I will NEVER marry Miss Arberry! And third... you're acting as though I GAVE her the dress and FORCED her specifically into this situation! Tch...". He looks down and puts his hands in his pockets. He closes his eyes. "Even if I believed in the misfortune of the dress and wanted to marry Miss Arberry...". He looks up again. "I wouldn't shove bad luck down her throat if it meant the last breath of my life!". Vincent starts laughing again. Everyone looks at him. "What the hell are you constantly laughing at?! It's pissing me off!". Vincent looks up at him, still laughing. He has one eye open.  
_You say that, but... anything else down her throat is ok..._  
Eliot focuses his attention on his father again.  
"So... are you going to start treating me like an adult, Father, now that you know my side of the story?". His father frowns.  
"Eliot, until you are a Duke will I acknowledge you as an adult... one really does not grow up until he takes up an important position... however, under the circumstances, I will accept your claim of not deliberately the dress to her because it's obvious you didn't know about it..."  
"And what about seeing Miss Arberry?"  
"No..."  
"No what?!"  
"No you will not see her..."  
"But I just told you..."  
"And I just told YOU that every Duke has married the girl dressed in the red dress, regardless if they loved them or not..."  
"I DON'T love her... and I will NEVER love her!"  
"Then why do you wish to see her again?". Vincent smiles. Eliot looks at him.  
"If you REALLY must know, Miss Arberry and I have a lot to talk about..."  
"Oh... ha, ha! So THAT'S what they call it these days!". Vincent laughs again. Eliot looks even more ticked off.  
"Eliot...". Eliot looks at his father. "I will not condemn you if Miss Arberry visits herself... however, there will be no letters or messages sent to her asking for one, or visits to her house... she may only come on her own will..."  
"But... that's not..."  
"You already showed her hospitality... besides, you said yourself all you have in common is communication...". Eliot looks down... he frowns...  
"Yes... that's... true..."  
"Good. Now I want to end this conversation before one of our guests inquires about it. Eliot?"  
"Yes... Father?"  
"Talk with the guests... I must think up an excuse for Miss Arberry's presence and her... association with you..."  
"Ha, ha, ha!". Vincent laughs. Duke Nightray looks at him.  
"Vincent! Stop standing around like a fool! There are people you must talk with, too!"  
"Yes, Father... of course!". Vincent looks at Eliot. He walks up to him. He pats his back. "Eliot..."  
"What?". Vincent moves his lips right next to his ear and smiles.  
"You didn't really... mean everything you said... he, he... after all... one doesn't just kiss a child of misfortune on a moonlit night in the Nightray garden..."  
"How did you... and she isn't...". Vincent wraps his arms around Eliot's neck and smiles, still next to his ear.  
"Eliot, Eliot! Isn't it obvious? You're blushing! And as a child of misfortune... well, not necessarily is she one for her eye color, but rather...". He looks up, frowning, and still with his arms around Eliot's neck. "You know, the stars look significantly brighter tonight... perhaps it's because your kiss outshone them earlier this evening..."  
"BACK OFF!". Eliot pushes him away from him. Eliot looks at him, pissed. "Look... you don't know ANYTHING about the events earlier tonight!"  
"I know they were eventful...", says Vincent, somewhat tired.  
"Tch... since you apparently saw us in the garden, I should tell you what happened..."  
"Oh... please... don't bother..."  
"What?!"  
"I'm...". Vincent yawns. "Much too tired for any more explanations tonight... especially from you... you really are drab when it comes to...". Vincent yawns again. "Explaining yourself... you have no edge, Eliot... your excuses are impossible to believe!"  
"THAT DOES IT! Vincent...". He points his finger to the door. "LEAVE!". Vincent smiles.  
"I was just about to, Eliot! I'm exhausted from all these objects drifting towards me, anyway... and without Miss Arberry here, things just aren't as interesting...". Eliot looks down, closes his eyes, makes fists, and shakes slightly.  
"Please... don't bring her up again...". Vincent laughs. He closes his eyes.  
"He, he... why? Do you picture the taste of her lips on yours every time her name is brought up? MISS ARBERRY, MISS ARBERRY, MISS ARBERRY! Or the scent of her perfume on your collar? MISS ARBERRY! MISS ARBERRY! MISS ARBERRY!"  
"SHUT UP, VINCENT!". Eliot looks up at him. "You just made her name more annoying to me... thank you...". Vincent frowns slightly. He turns around and heads for the door. He waves his hand at Eliot.  
"Goodnight, Eliot!". He leaves the ballroom and stops in the hallway. He smiles. "Perhaps it is better... Eliot... for you to be annoyed with the name... after all, it is not truly hers...". He looks forward and starts to walk down the hallway. He pulls out the Letters book from his pocket. "Spades... that is her name... provoke the Chain enough, it says... and the world Brother and I suffered in will be destroyed..."

Meanwhile, Gilbert and I were walking down the hallway, headed for the exit... Gilbert holds my wrist tightly, leading me to the door. I follow quickly behind him.  
"Please let go of my wrist, Gilbert... it hurts!"  
"I don't care how you feel! You HURT Duke Nightray! How it happened... I... don't know! But you will explain this to Oz!"  
"Let go of my wrist immediately!". Gilbert stops... he lets go of my wrist. I rub my wrist with my other hand.  
"What was all that... talk of compensation for your injuries?", says Gilbert, not looking at me. I smile sarcastically.  
"I was injured last week here... Eliot doctored me and decided to pay me back for his family's negligence..."  
"So... he invited you to his graduate party... as his date?"  
"As his date..."

Meanwhile, Eliot and Leo are talking in the ballroom...

"Tch... this family really pisses me off...", says Eliot, leaning on a table and crossing his arms. Leo hands him a drink.  
"Punch?"  
"Yeah... sure...". He takes the drink. He closes his eyes and takes a sip of it. Leo, holding his own drink, looks down.  
"So... um... I didn't exactly hear the conversation you had with Vincent or your father..."  
"You didn't NEED to hear any of it! Pointless jabbering about marriages and bad luck..."  
"Marriages? Bad luck?"  
"Yeah... apparently the Nightrays are superstitiously convinced I'm going to marry Miss Arberry and have bad luck because of it..."  
"Well... that's not bad..."  
"NOT BAD?!". Eliot looks at Leo. "They're basically determining my LIFE for me! Why should I be objected to their beliefs?"  
"Well...", says Leo, starting to ponder.  
"Sad thing is, that doesn't trouble me...". Leo looks at Eliot... Eliot looks up...  
"She told my father our date was compensation for her injuries..."  
"So?". Eliot looks up and smiles slightly.  
"I never thought of it like that and... it just surprised me she kept it in mind... even after we...". He looks down. He takes another sip of punch from his cup. Leo looks at him, somewhat confused. He smiles, realizing something more behind Eliot's actions.  
"Are you going to see her again?"  
"Probably not..."

"Probably...". I look up at Gilbert. "I mean... I owe him so much..."  
"For tonight?"  
"For everything...". Gilbert frowns... he walks towards me.  
"Tch... what kind of game are you playing?"

"She's not playing any tricks on you, Eliot! She probably needed an excuse..."  
"To get out of talking to Father? Tch...". Eliot looks up again. "Then... why didn't she talk to him... the way she talked to me? Maybe... Father would have understood..."  
"Your father hardly understands anything! You know that..."  
"Yes... but...". Eliot looks down. He closes his eyes. "Even so, I think she meant what she said about compensation... she wouldn't... lie..."

"He wouldn't this hospitable if he didn't expect anything in return!". I close my eyes, cross my arms, and walk down the hallway. I stop. Gilbert looks at me.  
"Oh... oh, now I see!" He walks up to me. "It's the Nightray thing again, isn't it?"  
"What else?". Gilbert grabs my shoulder and forces me to turn around. I open my eyes.  
"You can't do this!". I scowl.  
"The Nightrays ALWAYS expect payment, therefore...". I smile. "I'm going to offer him the BEST compensation possible...". I start to walk down the hallway with a smile. Gilbert watches me...  
"And that is?"

"So the solution is?". Eliot looks at Leo.  
"I will... accept her feelings... and not let this relationship go any farther..."

"Myself...". I smile...


	15. Chapter 15

It is morning... I am in the living room of Gilbert's apartment. I am sitting on the couch, holding a package containing the dress I wore the previous night. I look at the package, stand up, and walk over to the door.  
"Where are you going?". I turn around. Gilbert is in the doorway of his bedroom. One of his hands is placed on a door pane and he is leaning towards it. I take a breath in and out.  
"I'm returning the dress I wore to the Nightrays... why? What should I be doing?". Gilbert lets go of the door pane and walks over to me, frowning.  
"You should be staying in one place 'til Oz gives instructions otherwise... besides... you already told me about your 'plan' to annulate the Nightrays... especially Eliot..."  
"OH, HO, HO!", I say, taking breathes in and out. "I don't plan on terminating your family, just teach them a lesson! It's... much less of a burden..."  
"Then why don't you have ME return the package, and your burden would be even LESS...", says Gilbert, swiping the package away from me. I smile.  
"Oh, Gilbert... whatever would your pious family THINK if you returned the dress worn by me? Hm? I suppose Oz hasn't brought up the fact you and I share an apartment to them? And with the assumptions already made by Duke Nightray... what do you think he'll come up with this time... hm?". Gilbert smiles sarcastically.  
"Here...". He hands me the package. "Take the dress. Just don't stay long! You better be back in less than an hour or I AM coming, and the only one explaining things will be YOU!". I smile.  
"Fair enough. It won't take me that long, anyway...". I open the door and walk out. Gilbert closes the door and takes out a cigarette. He lights it. I open the door quickly and surprise him. "AND please... don't smoke while I'm gone... 'k?". Gilbert turns around and looks at me. He tosses the cigarette on the floor. He puts his hands behind his back.  
"Oh, well, with you gone, I won't need one!". I frown and shut the door.  
"Cheeky..."  
"Chain..."

It is later that afternoon... I am walking down the hallway of the Nightray manor, carrying the package. I look around for someone. I turn a corner on my right while looking down and run right into...  
"AH, Vincent!". I jump back slightly, looking up at him with a startled frown. The package clings tightly to my chest.  
"Miss Arberry! I didn't know you were visiting...", he says with a smile. I look slightly down, to the side.  
"Well, I, um, uh..."  
"You came at just the right time. I was thinking about you..."  
"Me?!". I look up in shock.  
"And the book you left behind on your last visit!", he says, smiling, eyes closed, and handing the Proclam Papers book to me. I look at it with a frown.  
"Oh... um... thank you...". I reach my hand over to the book.  
"Eliot is down the hall to the right...". I look up at him, my hand close to the book.  
"He is?"  
"And it's almost one."  
"Damn!". I take the book from him and start to run down the hallway.  
"Would you like me to take that package for you?". I stop. I turn around and walk up to him.  
"Oh, if you would, that would be great! Just send my regards to the Duke!". I hand him the package and wave goodbye. I run down the hallways again. Vincent looks at the package and smile.  
"You must mean to me... after all, the Duke didn't send this package..."

"I did."

I run down the hallway. I put the book in my dress pocket. I stop in front of the door on the right hand side at the end of the hallway. I looks down... I breathe in and out. I look up. I quickly turn the knob of the door and walk in...  
I enter the room. The room contains a wooden desk and chair, two bookshelves, and a painting of a blue sky and clouds on the east side of the room. Eliot is sitting by the desk, reading a blue covered book. He is wearing a partially red sweater vest over a white short sleeved dress shirt and white pants. He has on a black bow tie. He has his right elbow on the desk and his head is leaning on it. He is slightly frowning, looking only at his book and not noticing me. I turn my head around slightly and close the door.  
"Eliot?"  
"Why are you here?"  
"Hm?", I say, slightly in shock.  
"I didn't invite you... so, if your business is brief, get it over with so that I can be left alone for the next few hours as intended...". I open my eyes wide. He does not even bother to look up from his book!  
"Go on... spit it out! I'm already practically annoyed with your presence this afternoon...". Now my mouth is opened wide! I walk over to his desk slowly.  
"I'm not here on business... and no, you didn't invite me..."  
"Then get out..."  
"Huh?!"  
"Leave! Disperse! Begone with ye!". I frown. I walk up to his desk and place my hands on it in front of him.  
"How DARE you throw me out! Do you even know who I am?!"  
"Meghan Arberry... the girl who obviously cannot get the message...". He slightly looks up from his book and turns his chair around, not facing me.  
"That may be so, but I'm also the girl fully in your debt... the girl you treated when ill, the girl you invited to your graduate party...". I walk around the desk and stop in front of him. I lean slightly close to him. "The girl you... kissed...". I smile sarcastically. He looks up slightly at me and back to his book, ticked off.  
"Tch...". He turns left, still looking at his book. "That means nothing to me..."  
"Nothing?", I say with a frown.  
"It was just a spontaneous spur of the moment... it didn't mean anything..."  
"Didn't mean?". I frown. I look at his chair. "Tch... Eliot... you don't know the first thing...". I walk right in front of him. "About...". I place my right foot in between his legs in the edge of the chair. "MEANING!". I quickly push his chair hard towards the wall. He hits it, his book flying out of his hands. He looks up, shocked. I walk up to him, put my foot on his chair again, and pull his bow tie. I look directly into his eyes. "I'll show you a spontaneous spur of the moment!". I lean in closer to him, close my eyes, and pull him in, pressing my lips against his. I start to kiss him passionately. A few seconds later, he closes his eyes. His bow tie comes undone from me pulling on it, and I slightly fall back, but he catches me by by shoulders with his hands and pulls me back to him. I take my foot off the chair. He starts to embrace me, his hands still holding the backs of my shoulders. I move my hands around his neck, slightly feeling his hair.  
There is a knock at the door...  
Eliot?"  
The knocks persist...  
"Eliot..."  
Leo is waiting outside of the door. He is frowning. He puts his hands to his sides and looks up at the door. A few seconds pass before the door is answered...  
Eliot slightly opens the door, looks, and opens it completely. His collar is sticking up on one side, his bow tie is undone, and there are hints of lipstick on his lips, cheek, and shirt. His hair is slightly out of place. He looks at Leo, still holding the door knob with one hand.  
"What is it, Leo?"  
"Well, um...". Leo swallows, looking up at Eliot and frowning. Eliot looks at him, very ticked off at his presence. He nearly stares his servant down. "Do you happen to have the latest edition of Holy Knight with you?"  
"As a matter of fact, I was in the middle of reading it, but I...". Eliot looks slightly over his left shoulder with a nervous frown. He bites his lip. Leo follows his eyes, just as he turns back to him. Leo stops looking. "WHY?!"  
"WELL, I, UM...". Leo backs up a bit. "Was just was wondering if I could borrow it, but since you're in the process of reading it, maybe I should...". Eliot quickly walks back into the room. Leo looks into the room slightly. Eliot returns to the door, opens it more, and throws the book at Leo. Leo catches it with both hands and leans it against his chest. Eliot extends his hand down the hallway.  
"NOW GO!". Leo is startled at first, but smiles. He starts to leave.  
"Hey, Eliot..."  
"WHAT?!". Leo looks over his shoulder at Eliot and smiles.  
"Pink lipstick suits you...". Eliot wipes his lips with one finger and looks at the excess lipstick on it. He closes his eyes and clenches his fist.  
"Tch...". He slams the door closed. "Lousy servant...". He opens his eyes and smiles. He takes a deep breath in and out. "Now then, where were...". He turns around to see me at his desk, in his chair, in the same exact position as he was, reading one of the books on his desk. "We..."  
"Holy Knight sure seems good, but Radiance of the Maiden is positively DIVINE!"  
"What was that?!". I look up at him.  
"What was what?", I say, obliviously. He walks up to the desk, pissed off.  
"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!". I smile and look at the book again.  
"Oh, that? A kiss... but don't worry...". I close the book, slam it on the desk, and stand up. I walk past him, my hand still on the desk. I look at him. "It meant NOTHING...". My hand is about to leave the desk before Eliot places his hand over it. I stop. I look at my hand. I look at him. His eyes are full of sorrow. I gently move my hand from under his and walk to the door. I open it and leave the room, closing the door behind me. He watches as I leave and frowns, still very sorrowful for what he said...

I return to Gilbert's apartment with the Proclaim Letters in my hand. I start to open the door... I hear voices inside...

"She's the child of a Chain! Our only option is to dispose of her!"  
"But what will that do?!"

I hear Gilbert's voice... I peek into the door and listen quietly...  
"Regardless if you destroy her or not, there's still going to be three other Chains to worry about! Killing her now would only lead to more trouble!". I look at Gilbert. He is frowning.  
"Gilbert's right...". I look in deeper... I see Oz... he is also frowning...  
"No matter how you look at it, our problem's greatness is determined upon the fate of her..."  
"Duke Vessalius... are you saying we should let her live?!". Oz crosses his arms.  
"The last thing I want to happen is for her to die..."  
"But she must be TERMINATED! Duke Barma..."  
"Rufus doesn't know the first THING about humanity! Sure, he can point out a Chain or two when needed, but when it comes to the survival of an 'inferior' human being..."  
"Oz...". I look at Gilbert. Gilbert looks at Oz. "You always mean well, but in a situation like this... we might not have a choice...". Gilbert looks down. "She is still just a Chain, and really... how much more of a human could she possibly be?"  
"Gil..."  
"Hm?". Oz pushes Gilbert's forehead with his hand. Gilbert falls back in shock. Oz looks down. His lips start to tremble. A shadow surrounds his eyes. "As long as she is breathing... as long as she can see... as long as she can make choices for herself, eat food, drink wine, live happily...". Oz looks up. He smiles. "As long as she has a heart... she is human...". There is a pause. Gilbert looks at him, eyes wide with shock. Oz looks at the Pandora members in the room. "Remember that... everyone... do not forget that her life is our first priority... the Chain always comes second to the heart...". I smile, not knowing why. I start to close the door again.  
"So... when are you going to tell Miss Arberry?". I freeze. My eyes open wide. I open the door again slightly. Gilbert crosses his arms, closes his eyes, and looks down.  
"Tch... who knows? She's always running out of here like it's nothing... I can't WAIT to tell her... the expression on her face when she finds out she's a Chain will be PRICELESS..."

I drop the book.

The sound from the book is heard by everyone in the room. They instantly turn their heads towards the door. Oz walks over to the door and opens it. I am in the darkness, on the other side of the hallway wall, on the floor. I curl up against it, holding my knees in my arms. I look forward... a green luminous color shines in the shadows... a member of Pandora sees it, and steps forward.  
"IT'S THE CHAIN!"  
"NO!". Oz pushes him back. He walks up to me... I look up at him. My eyes are blue with tears... with memories...

_You're such a beautiful child! A BEAUTIFUL CHILD!_

Why did they give me away? Don't they want ME?!

We don't want you! You're HIDEOUS!

Those eyes... those EYES...

AH! ALFRED!

What is it?!

I was brushing her hair... and...

And what?

Those eyes... those EYES...

Didn't they want ME?! Why didn't they want ME?!

Those eyes... those EYES...

HIDEOUS!

Look at me, dear, so I can smooth your hair... OH, MY... WRETCHED DEMON!

They wanted you, dear, they just couldn't look at you...

Couldn't look at me?

Her eyes... HER EYES...

Your eyes... YOUR EYES...

What?

They...

They...

Green... like a cursed Chain! Green... like the Abyss!

Turn green... and...

She'll always be wicked! GET HER OUT! OUT! OUT!

Don't worry, dear... they don't hate you...

We HATE her... WE HATE YOU! WE'LL MAKE SURE SHE DOESN'T LIVE! KILL HER! KILL HER! KILL HER!

"Kill me...", I say, rocking back and forth...


	16. Chapter 16

Oz looks at me. He smiles.  
"That's all you want, isn't it?" Gilbert looks at Oz. Oz extends his arms out to me. He wraps his arms around me, putting his head over my shoulders, and closing his eyes. "To be loved... I can see it in your eyes..." I am very shocked. My eyes move back and forth, in tears. I am frowning, but I feel so... warm...  
Without realizing it, I start to move my left hand forward. Gilbert sees it, and lifts up his gun. I softly place my hand on Oz's back. After a few seconds, I do the same with my other hand, lean forward, and start to kneel on the floor, crying in his arms, and my head over Oz's shoulder. Oz smiles, holding me tightly in his arms.  
"It's alright... you'll be ok now... Gil?" Gilbert flinches. "Put away your gun and get us some warm blankets... and some tea..." Gilbert slowly lowers his gun. He touches his forehead with his fingers and closes his eyes. He seems annoyed. He walks into his apartment. Oz glances at the men of Pandora. "Please... that will be all for today..."  
"But the..."  
"A-dieu... gentlemen...", says Oz, looking scary. The men jump back and after a few seconds, leave. Oz looks at me again and pats my back gently. "I know, it hurts... I know...", he says softly...

About thirty minutes later, all is quiet... I am sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blue blanket, holding a cup of tea, and staring into space. I am frowning...  
Meanwhile, Gilbert and Oz are looking at me from outside the apartment, through a crack in the door.  
"Do you think she understood what we were discussing?", says Gilbert, looking at me.  
"No... Rufus told me the mere mention of Miss Arberry being a Chain is only heard by the Chain itself... she becomes unconscious when there is talk of it to her..."  
"But you saw how fast she changed! One second, she was a Chain... the next..."  
"A human?" Gilbert nods his head. Oz steps back from the door and looks at Gilbert with a frown. "Gil, you've... got to stop treating her like an object! She needs love... and patience... and support!"  
"I'm not treating her like an object, Oz!"  
"Than what do you call it?" Gilbert looks at Oz. He looks down, hand in his pocket. He closes his eyes and draws circles with his fingers around the corner of his right eye. He sighs hesitantly.  
"A Chain cannot be treated like a human, Oz..." Oz takes a step forward.  
"Wanna bet?" Gilbert glances up at Oz. Oz smiles, putting his hands on his hips. Gilbert closes his eyes again and drops his hand.

"What do you want me to do?"

A few minutes later, everything is the same. I am on the couch, holding a cup of tea, and staring into space. Gilbert slowly opens the door, and walks in. He looks at me. He takes a breath in and out, and closes the door behind him. I hear it close. He stands there for a few seconds, then walks over to the couch and sits next to me on my right side. He holds his hands over his knees and looks forward, too. There is a very awkward pause. Gilbert clears his throat.  
"So... um... do you want to talk?", he says nonchalantly. There is another awkward pause...  
"Not... really...", I say, still staring into space. There is another great pause. Gilbert looks at his hands. They are sweating.  
"Um... you can... tell me what is on your mind..."  
"Hmph...", I say softly, laughing a little and looking down with a smile. Gilbert glances at me.  
"Just... tell me..."  
"Tell you what?" Gilbert finches a little. I looks up again. "That I'm a fool? Everyone knows that now, even Pandora..." I start to shake my teacup slightly. "Everyone knows I'm mentally insane... everyone knows I cried like a little girl after I became unconscious... it's happening again... I thought it would stop coming!"  
"Happening again? You mean, your unconsciousness?"  
"I mean everything! My mentality... this MADNESS is my curse!"  
"Madness... you're not mad..."  
"Then, what am I?"  
"You know it, now say it." I clear my throat and frown. I glance down at my teacup. I start to shake it quickly.  
"I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm..." Gilbert looks at my teacup. He moves his hands towards it, places one of his hands over the top of the teacup, and takes the teacup and the plate from my hands, placing them on the end table. I cover my face with my hands. "Upset...", I say, very quietly. Gilbert looks at me, leaning back slightly.  
"Why?" I uncover my eyes and looks at him, tears in my eyes.  
"Because I'm not sure why I've been acting this way... I've... finally received everything I ever wanted... a home, people who care about me, a good friend in you and Oz...", I say, placing my hand over his on the couch. "How selfish am I to forget everything, just to remember the past?" I start to cry again. "To show you the result of my past experiences was not my intention... and yet... I feel as though only I am to blame for the ugly side of me being exposed, and to Pandora, nonetheless! I'm ashamed, Gilbert, ashamed that you and the others had to see me lose my mind over a stupid circumstance that I hardly even recall! I know it's never going to happen, but please forget what you saw tonight and forgive me for my attitude!"  
"Miss..." Gilbert looks to the side and slightly grinds his teeth. "You don't need to apologize for your past... I know too well what a person's past does to oneself... it hurts... it... feeds on the mind, and makes you feel like a madman... but, there is one thing the past cannot condemn..." I look up at Gilbert.  
"What?" Gilbert removes his left hand from my hand and places his finger on his chest, over his heart. I look at his finger, and do the same with mine. "Sometimes the deepest wounds will never slander what you hold within your heart..." There is a pause...  
"Gilbert?"  
"Hm?". I love closer to him on the couch. I love my face closer to his and stop, very close... we look into each other's eyes... there is another pause...  
I close my eyes and quickly move my head over his shoulder, and give him a hug...

"Thank you..."

It is the next morning. A carriage stops in front of Gilbert's apartment building. The door opens, and out walks Elliot, wearing a black coat and blue bow tie ribbon. He looks at the carriage driver.  
"Wait a minute... I'll be back in a bit..." The driver nods. Elliot looks at the apartment building, sighs, and walks towards it...  
Meanwhile...

"Gilbert, do you have any towels?", I exclaim from Gilbert's bedroom. I relax in the tub behind the screen he has provided for me. Gilbert is sitting by the table, reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. Clearly, he is aggravated.  
"Didn't I just give you some?!"  
"No... that's kind of suspicious..." Gilbert stands up, pushing his chair back and his hands on the table, looking down. He walks into the bedroom and takes towels out of his dresser. He quickly runs up to the screen.  
"Here!" He throws the towels over the screen. "TAKE YOUR DAMN TOWELS!" They land in the water.  
"HEY! YOU THREW THEM IN THE..." There is a knock at the door. Gilbert turns his head to look at it. I remain quiet. He walks out of the room and stops in the doorway.  
"Wait just a sec...", he says, his hand on the door pane. I blink rapidly, wondering who is at the door. Gilbert closes the bedroom door and walks to the apartment door. He puts his hand on the knob before answering. "Who is it?"  
"Elliot." Gilbert glances at his bedroom door, and back at the apartment door. He turns the knob and opens the door. The brothers look at each other. "Can I come in?" Gilbert nods. Elliot slightly smiles and walks into the apartment. Gilbert keeps his hand on the door knob and looks at Elliot. Elliot looks forward, not saying a word. His sword is in it's holster. Gilbert starts to close the door.  
"Is something wrong?"  
"No... not in real perspective, anyway...", says Elliot, looking down and closing his eyes. Gilbert closes the door completely.  
"Won't you sit down?", says Gilbert, pointing to the couch. Elliot opens his eyes and looks at the couch. He walks over to it and sits down. Gilbert walks towards him to behind the couch. "How did you get this address?"  
"Vincent."  
"Oh... I didn't know he knew..."  
"Neither did I..." There is a pause. Elliot looks forward. "Gilbert?" Gilbert flinches a little.  
"What?" From Gilbert's bedroom, I put on a robe and slowly walk over to the door.  
"Are you acquainted with Miss Arberry?" I jump back from the door slightly. Gilbert looks to the corner of his eyes.  
"Well, um..."  
"I saw you leave with her the other night... are you associated with her?", says Elliot, looking at Gilbert. Gilbert looks down and closes his eyes.  
"Well, um... not... exactly..."  
"That's better than what I've gotten before..." Gilbert opens his eyes, shocked. Elliot looks forward and stands up. He closes his eyes. He frowns. "No one seems to know about Miss Arberry, other than you, Gil... tell me... when will you see her again?" Gilbert glances at the bedroom door and pouts sarcastically.  
"Very soon, why?" Elliot throws his hand, containing a letter, at Gilbert. Gilbert jumps back from the force.  
"Give her this! Tell her it's from me!" Gilbert scowls, taking the letter from Elliot's hand. He looks at it.  
"Is it a thank you note?" Elliot looks away from Gilbert and closes his eyes.  
"Tch... that really is none of your business!" Gilbert waits a few seconds before walking over to the table and place the letter on it. He looks at Elliot.  
"You don't need to tell me, but it must be something important if you had to deliver it personally..." Elliot opens his eyes and looks down. He crosses his arms.  
"Hmph... I don't expect her to come back on her own now, do I... after she..." There is a pause. "TCH! WHY SHOULD I GIVE YOU THE DETAILS?! JUST GIVE HER THE LETTER AND TELL HERE IT'S FROM ME!", exclaims Elliot, turning around, angry. Gilbert sighs and looks down.  
"Fine. Is that all?" Elliot breathes in and out rapidly. He sighs, taking his hands out of fists.  
"Yes." Gilbert looks up. He walks over to the apartment door and opens it. Elliot follows him to the door. He stops. He looks at Gilbert. "Thank you, Gilbert... I trust you will fulfill this task..." Gilbert smiles slightly, holding onto the door with his right hand.  
"How can I deny my brother's POLITE request?" Elliot closes his eyes and walks out of the apartment, grinding his teeth.  
"Tch... smart ass..." Gilbert watches his brother walk down the stairs, then closes the door. He puts his hand on his hip and looks down, smiling.  
"You can come out now..." I quickly open the door and walk out, wearing just a robe and slippers. I walk towards the table and grab the letter. Gilbert turns around and looks at me. He jumps back, moving his arm in front of his face. "AH! DON'T WALK AROUND LIKE THAT!" I close my eyes and smirk.  
"Oh, come on! It's not like anyone's looking!" Gilbert engulfs himself in a shadow of shame.  
"You make it sound like I'm your girlfriend or something..." I laugh a little. Gilbert looks at the letter in my hands. I look at it questionably.  
"What do you suppose it could be?" Gilbert walks a little towards me.  
"I don't know... Elliot never delivers messages on his own... usually, he has an attendant do it for him..."  
"Is that why he didn't know your address?"  
"Probably..." Gilbert stops right next to me. "He said something like he didn't expect you to come back after you... did something?" I frown. I look down at the letter. I open the envelope. I take out the letter and unfold it. Gilbert looks over my shoulder. I glance at him.  
"Privacy, please?" Gilbert frowns. He walks over to the couch and sits down. I sit at the table and start to read...

_Dear Miss "Meghan" Arberry,  
I know what it feels like to be stubborn, so a written "I am sorry", probably will not confiscate for what I did. Therefore, allow me to give you a proper apology and an invitation to the Nightray beach house this weekend. Transportation will be provided, IF you decide to come. With full sincerity, I would appreciate your presence there._

X- - - Elliot

I fold the letter. I close my eyes. My lips are trembling.  
"Gilbert?"  
"Hm?", says Gilbert, looking at me. I open my eyes.  
"You said yesterday that the past has no control over your heart... did you mean it?"  
"Yes, of course." I look down and close my eyes.  
"Then... how would one go about their lives if their mind keeps telling them 'no', based solely on the past... and their heart is pleading, 'yes, give him another chance'?" Gilbert's eyes open wide. He puts his finger on his chin and looks forward.  
"Well, if 'he' made a mistake, he must also have done good... everyone has flaws, and what a world it would be if we couldn't forgive them! A person's mind feeds on the past in order to make assumptions of the future... in reality, your heart determines your future... so, I say... if your heart, like a compass, directs you a certain way, follow it, and you'll find your answers because you chose to do what is right..." I open my eyes and look at Gilbert. I look at the letter. I smile and place the letter behind the rope of my robe. I stand up and walk into Gilbert's bedroom.

Meanwhile...

Deep within the coils of Abyss... a Chain anticipates release... several rusted chains are broken... and a dark being is free... a crack is heard from the shell of the Abyss...

A person looks up upon hearing the noise similar to thunder... he looks out the window and at flash of lightening... he is sitting on the window pane...  
"Hmph... interesting... I did not realize you would come so soon... oh, well..." The person looks down at the thing he is holding. "It's only a matter of time until I see you again..." He places scissors around a stuffed rabbit's neck.

"Break... KUN!"

_SNIP_...


End file.
